LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


EZEKIEL 


"      .      .      .      JES   GWINE  ALONG   EZ   NI  —  CE  !  " 


"OH,   MV    POOR    LITTLE    BOY!     YOU    MUST  GET  UP  J    YOU 
COLD  AND —  AND  SICK!" 


E  Z  E  K  I  E  L 


BY 

LUCY  PRATT 

ILLUSTRATED  BY 
FREDERIC     DORR     STEELE 


New  York 

Doubleday,  Page  &  Company 
1909 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


ALL   RIGHTS    RESERVED,   INCLUDING   THAT   OF   TRANSLATION 
INTO   FOREIGN    LANGUAGES,    INCLUDING    THE   SCANDINAVIAN 


COPYRIGHT,    IQOQ,  BY   DOUBLEDAY,    PAGE   &   COMPANY 
PUBLISHED,    MAY,     1909 


Several  chapters  of  this  book  have  1-een  copyrighted  separately,  as  follows  : 
•' The  Entrance  of  Ezekiel,"  "  Ezekiel  in  Transit,"  "The  Colour-Bearer,"  "  Ezekiel  in 
Exile,"  copyright,  1907,  by  the  S.  S.  McClure  Company ;  "  The  Interrupted  Reign  of  Queenie," 
copyright,  1907,  by  The  Phillips  Publishing  Company ;  "A  Book  for  Mothers,"  "  Ezekiel 
Promises,"  "  The  Mistletoe  Bough,"  "In  Charge  of  Trusty,"  "His  Need  of  Mis'  Simons," 
copyright,  1908,  by  The  S.  S.  McClure  Company. 


TO     ALL     GOOD     FRIENDS     OF 

HAMPTON   INSTITUTE 

BOTH   NORTH   AND    SOUTH   THIS   BOOK 
IS    DEDICATED 


HAVE    YOU   EVER    CLIMBED    SO    HIGH    FOR    IT    BEFORE  ? 


The  Entrance  of  Ezekiel 

Ezekiel  in  Transit  . 

Ezekiel' s  Mis'  Simons 

"  A  Book  for  Mothers  "  . 

The  Colour-Bearer 

Mis'  Simons' s  Protector  . 

Ezekiel  Promises    . 

In  Charge  of  Trusty 
IX.  The  Mistletoe  Bough      . 
X.  The     Interrupted     Reign 
Queenie 

His  Need  of  Mis'  Simons 

Ezekiel  in  Exile 

vii 


I. 
II. 
III. 
IV. 
V. 
VI. 
VII. 
VIII. 


XI. 
XII. 


of 


3 

25 
45 
61 

81 
103 
123 
147 


193 
215 
235 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


"  I  PLEDGE  ALLEGIANCE  TO  MY  FLAG,  AND  TO  THE  REPUBLIC 
FOR  WHICH  IT  STANDS  —  ONE  NATION  INDIVISIBLE,  WITH  LIBERTY 
AND  JUSTICE  FOR  ALL." 


:Oh,  my  poor  little  boy!  you  must  get  up; 
you  are  cold  and — and  sick!"   .    Frontispiece 


FACING   PAGE 


"  Now,  of  course,"  explained  Miss  Jane 
Lane  to  Ezekiel  .  .  .  "of  course,  I 
don't  even  know  that  they  will  admit 
you  here "  .....  4 

"  Once  't  was  a  li'P  boy,"  he  began  .       12 

"  V  he  jes'  keep  on  settin'  dere  wid  'is 
pole,  'n'  de  li'P  poke  chop  on  de  en'  o' 
deline"  .  .18 

ix 


x  EZEKIEL 

FACING   PAGE 

"Yes—   "  she  answered,  "  he  can  stay"     .        20 
"  Why,  I  am  ashamed  of  you,  Ezekiel!"      .       26 

"  Praesen'ly  —  yer  see  —  I  'se  jes'  blige  ter 

eat  it " 30 

"  Run,  Ezekiel!     Run  as  fast  as  you  can!  "       36 

"  P'lice  say,  *wuz  you  de  cause  o'  dis  disfig- 

germent,  boy  ? ' :  .          .          .  70 

"  l  Well,    I  'se   gwine  climb   up  'n'  git  yer, 

den/  ole  man  say"      ....       74 

"'Tain'  much  furrer,  is  it,   Miss  No'th?"       94 
"I  kin  git  Jim  yere,  ef  yer  wants"     .          -158 

Ezekiel    deposited  a  large,   lacy   bunch  of 

mistletoe  .         .          .         .         .174 

"Look,  Miss  No'th!"       ....     216 

Around    the  schoolhouse  that  first  morn 
ing    had    swarmed    children    white - 
white  —  white      .....     246 

Ezekiel  was  at  home  again         .         .         .252 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL 


"  *N'  OLE   YALLER    DAWG    TES'   LOOK   AT    DE    LlV    BOY 
LIKE   HE   AIN'  JES'  KNOW   W'AT   TER   SAY  " 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL 

NOW,  of  course,"  explained  Miss  Jane  Lane 
to  her  protege,  Ezekiel  Esquire  Jordan,  as 
they  advanced  up  the  steps  of  the  Whittier  School 
at  Hampton  Institute,  "of  course,  I  don't  even 
know  that  they  will  admit  you  here." 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,  apparently  perfectly 
agreeable  to  any  outcome  whatsoever. 

"No,  of  course,  we  can't  tell  at  all,"  went 
on  Miss  Jane,  determined  to  be  consistently 
pessimistic,  "not  until  we  have  seen  and  talked 
with  the  principal  on  the  subject." 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel  again.  And  they 
advanced  into  the  assembly  room  where  the  prin 
cipal  was  apparently  just  waiting  to  receive  them. 

After  a  few  brief  preliminaries  in  regard  to 
general  educational  qualifications  and  possibilities, 
the  applicant  and  his  guardian  were  escorted  to  a 
room  which  was  called  a  "grade."  And  there  the 
principal  made  a  few  timely  suggestions  to  the 


4  EZEKIEL 

teacher  in  charge,  and  then  returned  to  the 
assembly  room. 

Miss  Jane  accepted  the  chair  politely  offered  by 
Miss  North  from  the  North,  and  Ezekiel  accepted 
the  only  vacant  seat  and  desk  in  the  room. 

"  We  are  very  full,"  explained  Miss  North  in 
an  agreeable  aside  to  Miss  Jane,  "very  full  just 
now.  Ezekiel,  we  are  just  having  a  reading  lesson 
-—  about  a  dog.  About  a  little  boy  and  his  dog. 
Just  take  this  book.  Yes.  Right  there." 

"  Yas'm,"  replied  Ezekiel,  regarding  the  picture, 
and  quite  at  ease  and  at  home  in  his  new  surround 
ings,  "'t  ain'  look  much  like  no  r'al  live  dawg, 
is  it?" 

"Why,  I  don't  know.  Don't  you  think  so?" 
rejoined  Miss  North,  in  tactful  tones;  "perhaps  it 
does  n't  look  just  like  the  dogs  that  you  have 


seen." 


"No'm.  I  ain'  nuver  seen  no  dawg  look  dat 
a-way,"  went  on  Ezekiel  sociably,  "cuz- 

"H  —  m,  yes.  Will  you  begin  once  more, 
William  ?  And  remember  what  a  nice,  loud  voice 
you  have,  William." 

William  rose  importantly,  and  with  his  chest 
protruded  like  a  West  Point  cadet's,  announced  in 
a  loud,  warning  shout; 


"  NOW,  OF    COURSE,"    EXPLAINED    MISS     JANE   LANE   TO    EZEKIEL 

.     .     .   "or  COURSE,  i  DON'T  EVEN  KNOW  THAT  THEY  WILL 
ADMIT  YOU  HERE" 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL         5 

<* 

"Hyeah  are  Naid  an'  'is  dawg!" 

"Why,  yes,"  agreed  Miss  North.  "That  was 
certainly  very  clear.  Someone  else  give  me  the 
same  story.  Archelus." 

"Hyeah  are  Naid  an'  'is  dawg!"  challenged 
Archelus  in  a  still  louder  shout  of  warning. 

"Yes,  Ned  and  his  dog,"  suggested  Miss  North. 
"Now,  just  once  more,  and  let  us  hear  ev-ery 
letter." 

It  came  like  a  last  call  of  danger  from  which  there 
was  positively  no  escape. 

"Hyeah  are  Naid  and  his  dawg!" 

Miss  Jane  looked  a  trifle  uneasy,  as  if  she  ex 
pected  Ned  and  his  dog  to  burst  in  at  any  moment. 

"I  kin  read  de  nex',"  put  in  Ezekiel,  still  cheerful 
and  sociable. 

"Can  you?  Very  well,  Ezekiel.  And  perhaps 
not  quite  so  loud,  please.  .  .  ." 

"H  —  m.  Yes.  Very  good,"  encouraged  Miss 
North. 

Ezekiel  looked  quite  elated. 

"  Miss  Jane  learn  me  'ow  ter  read,"  he  explained. 
"Miss  Jane  'n'  Mis'  Simons.  Mis'  Simons  a 
w'ite  lady  where  I  wuk  las'  year." 

"H-m.  That  was  very  nice,  wasn't  it? 
Thomas,  will  you  go  on?" 


6  EZEKIEL 

"Miss  Jane,  she  ain'  learn  me  same  way's 
Mis'  Simons,  nudder,  cuz  Mis'  Simons,  she 
learn  me  outen  a  KT  ole  kine  o'  dark  book  where 
she  foun'  up  in  de  akkit,  she  say.  'N'  it 's  all 
'bout  all  diffun  kine  o'  things.  'Bout  a  li'P  boy 
where  's  ser  triflin'  'n'  lazy,  say  he  ain'  gwine 
school  — 'n'  'bout-  -" 

"Yes,  never  mind  about  that  now,  Ezekiel. 
Will  you  go  on,  Thomas  ?  " 

"'N'  'bout  a  ole  man,  too.  So  ole  'is  back 
is  bent.  Say  'is  back  is  bent  wid  yeahs.  But 
Miss  Jane,  she  ain'  learn  me  outen  dat  li'P  dark 
book.  No'm.  She  learn  me  outen  a  mo'  like  dis 
yere  kine.  Say  she  gotten  it  fum  a  lady  where 
teach  school.  'N' it 's  all 'bout  -  -" 

"Yes.  But  we  must  go  on  with  the  lesson, 
Ezekiel.  You  see,  we  don't  talk  at  all  during  the 
lesson." 

"Yas'm.  Miss  Jane  allays  tell  me  dat  too. 
Say  I  must  n'  say  nary  word  lessen  she  ax  me." 

Miss  Jane,  who  was  looking  painfully  ill  at  ease 
here,  tried  the  effect  of  a  surreptitious  but  speaking 
motion  toward  her  protege. 

"Say  she  ain'  gwine  bother  no  mo'  wid  me  no 
how,  lessen  I  kin  pay  mo'  'tention  we'n  she  speak, 
'N'  she  learn  me  one  story  'bout  - 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL         7 

"Ezekiel!"  put  in  Miss  North,  with  forceful 
assurance,  "I  want  you  to  listen  very  hard  now  to 
the  others.  William,  go  on." 

As  they  filed  out  at  noon,  Miss  Jane  approached 
Miss  North  in  anxious  perplexity. 

"I  don't  know  that  you  will  be  able  to  keep  him, 
Miss  North,"  she  began;  "I  don't  know  that  you 
will  be  able  to  do  anything  with  him  at  all.  He 
is  a  peculiar  child,"  she  went  on,  in  resigned  but 
conscientious  tones.  "I  don't  like  to  say  he 
has  no  regard  for  truth;  I  should  n't  like  to  say 
that,  Miss  North,  but  at  times  he  seems  to  be 
a  victim  of  a  most  extraordinary  imagination." 

Miss  North  looked  at  Miss  Jane  with  a  quick, 
half-sympathetic,  half-amused  smile. 

"How  long  have  you  been  interested  in  him, 
Miss  Lane?" 

"  Since  I  came  down  from  the  North  two  years 
ago,"  explained  Miss  Jane.  "He  worked  for  me 
occasionally  in  little  ways  at  first,  and  I  realized 
how  neglected  he  had  always  been." 

"And  who  is  this  Mrs.  Simons  that  he  speaks 
of  ?  "  asked  Miss  North,  with  a  broadening  smile  of 
amused  reminiscence. 

"  Mrs.  Simons,  I  judge,  was  a  Southern  woman," 
explained  Miss  Jane,  with  just  precision;  "a 


8  EZEKIEL 

woman  living  not  far  from  Norfolk,  I  believe,  who 
was  evidently  very  good  to  him.  Come  here, 
Ezekiel,"  went  on  Miss  Jane,  turning  to  a  small 
figure  which  had  just  appeared  in  the  doorway; 
"we  are  wondering  if  you  can  come  to  school  here 
and  do  just  the  way  the  other  children  do." 

"Yas'm,  7  kin  do  de  way  de  udder  chillen  do," 
murmured  Ezekiel,  half  shyly,  half  smilingly. 

"I  hope  so,  I  hope  so,"  encouraged  Miss  Jane, 
with  sudden  fortitude,  "and  I  shall  come  back 
again  after  school  this  afternoon  to  find  out 
whether  they  can  keep  you  —  to  find  out  whether 
they  can  keep  you  here,  Ezekiel,"  she  repeated 
impressively. 

"Yas'm." 

With  various  other  expressions  of  facts,  fears, 
immediate  hopes,  and  ultimate  possibilities,  Miss 
Jane  made  her  adieus  with  a  final  sounding  note 
of  prophetic  reminder. 

"And  I  shall  come  back  after  school,  Ezekiel, 
to  find  out  whether  they  can  keep  you." 

The  children  were  in  their  seats  again,  and 
Miss  North  was  again  before  them. 

"Now  you  are  going  to  listen  so  very  carefully 
to  the  story  which  I  am  going  to  read,"  she  was 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL         9 

explaining,  "that  you  will  be  able  to  write  it  for 
me  in  your  own  words  when  I  have  finished." 

"How  yer  mean,  write  it  fer  yer  in  yer  own 
words?"  inquired  the  new  pupil  politely. 

Miss  North  explained  again. 

"And  it  is  about  some  children  who  live  in  a 
very  cold  country,"  she  added;  "about  some  little 
Esquimaux  children." 

The  others  looked  quite  intelligent,  having 
varied  recollections  of  having  heard  something  of 
that  sort  before. 

"Yas'm,  yer  read  one  story  'bout  li'P  Esqui 
maux  chillen  befo',  'n'  'bout  it 's  ser  cole 
dere  dey  ain't  eat  nary  thing  'cep'n'  ole  buckets 
o'  ker'  sene,  'n'  bottles  o'  grease,  'n'  taller 
can'  les,  'n' " 

"Not  exactly  right,  William;  but  they  must 
take  a  great  deal  of  oil,  must  n't  they,  because  oil 
makes  the  body  warm?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,  "Mis'  Jane  gib  me 
whul  bottle  o'  oil  once,  time  I  fell  offen  de  poach  'n' 
twis'  my  knee  'n'  my  laig.  Say  ef  I  rubs  it  in  r'al 
good  she  reckon  I  '11  feel  better.  But  cert'nly 
seem  like  de  mo'  I  rubs  - 

"Yes,  we  don't  care  to  hear  about  that  now, 
Ezekiel.  This  story  is  about  little  Esquimaux 


io  EZEKIEL 

children.  You  may  pass  the  book  around  quickly 
and  look  at  the  picture  before  I  begin  to  read." 

Ezekiel  was  still  appreciative. 

"Jes'  looker  de  dawg  all  harness  up!  Look 
sump'n  like  de  story  'bout  Naid  V  'is  dawg.  I 
know  a  story  'bout  a  dawg  too.  'Bout  a  KT  boy  'n' 
'is  dawg.  '.N'  HT  boy-  -" 

"Be  quiet,  Ezekiel."  And  Miss  North's  voice 
arose  to  the  demands  of  the  occasion  as  she  began 
the  story. 

"I  kin  tell  de  story  to  yer,"  continued  Ezekiel, 
as  she  finished.  "I  kin - 

"Ezekiel!  Sit  down!  This  is  to  be  written 
work." 

Ezekiel  sat  down  and  regarded  his  ink-bottle 
with  rueful  concern. 

"I  ain'  nuver  write  dat-a-way,"  he  mumbled. 
"Miss  Jane,  she  'mence  learnin'  me  wid  ink,  too. 
But  praesen'ly  she  say  she  cyan'  hab  me  messin' 
'n'  spillin'  dat-a-way,  'n'  't  ain'  no  use  ter  ax. 
So  she  jes'  reckon  I  kin  manage  ter  git  along  wid  a 
pencil.  Dat  boy  sniffin'  'is  ink  like  he  ain'  no 
sense,"  he  added  critically. 

"Ain'  sniffin'  no  ink  nudder!" 

"Yer  is  too,  'n'  'tain'  gwine  do  yer  no  good 
nudder,  cuz  - 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL        u 

<* 

"E-ze-kiel!"  Miss  North's  tone  was  unmis 
takable.  "You  are  to  stop  talking!  Why,  what 
do  you  think  I  can  tell  Miss  Jane  this  afternoon 
when  she  comes  to  ask  whether  we  can  keep  you  ?  " 

Ezekiel  subsided,  alarmed. 

"Don't  you  know  that  school  is  n't  the  place  for 
talking?" 

"Yas'm.  Miss  Jane  tole  me  so  too.  Say 
school  ain'  no  place  fer  talkin'." 

"Very  well.  And  when  Miss  Jane  comes  this 
afternoon,  I  hope  that  we  can  tell  her  that  you 
can  stay." 

"Yas'm,  cert'nly  hope  so  too,"  agreed  Ezekiel 
still  perceptibly  alarmed,  "'n'  I--I  kin  tell  yer 
all  'bout  de  story,  Miss  No'th  —  ef  I  cyan't  write 
it." 

"Never  mind  about  the  story.  I  should  like 
to  see  if  you  can  sit  ab-so-lutely  quiet  while  the 
other  children  are  writing." 

"Yas'm." 

"Have  you  finished,  William?"  she  inquired. 
"Will  you  read  it  to  the  others?" 

William  responded  fully  and  satisfactorily,  and 
Ezekiel  raised  his  hand  politely. 

"I  kin  tell  a  story  like  dat  er  one,"  he  announced. 
"I  kin  tell  anudder  story,  too.'' 


12  EZEKIEL 

"Will  you  read  yours,  Frederick?"  went  on 
Miss  North. 

Frederick  finished,  and  again  Ezekiel  raised  his 
hand  politely. 

"I  kin  tell  a  story,"  he  announced  again. 

"Will  you  read  yours,  Archelus?"  continued 
Miss  North. 

And  Archelus  finished. 

And  this  time  Ezekiel  forgot  to  raise  his  hand. 
"I  kin- 

But  the  door  opened,  and  Miss  Doane's  voice 
interrupted. 

"Miss  North,  may  I  see  you,  please?" 

It  sounded  prophetic  of  the  unusual,  and  Miss 
North  glanced  at  Miss  Doane.  Then  she  glanced 
at  the  children. 

"Will  you  take  very  good  care  of  yourselves?" 
And  finally  her  glance  fell  on  the  new  pupil. 

"Ezekiel,"  she  began,  with  sudden  appreciation 
of  the  psychological  moment,  "you  may  tell  your 
story  now" 

"Yas'm."  And  Miss  Doane  and  Miss  North 
went  on,  and  Ezekiel  arose. 

"Once  'twas  a  KT  boy,"  he  began;  then  he 
stopped  and  glanced  around  just  long  enough 
to  -collect  his  thoughts  satisfactorily.  "Once 


TJIE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL        13 

't  was  a  KT  boy,  'n'  fus'  thing  w'en  he'  s  bawn,  dey 
reckon  dey  '11  call  'im  Me/tes'lah.  But  den  dey 
'cides,  after  all,  Methus'lah  soun'  kine  o'  ole. 
Cuz  co'se  li'l'  boy  he  ain't  ole  'tall,  fus'  thing 
w'en  he  's  bawn,  so  dey  'cides  ter  change,  'n'  jes' 
call  'im  'Manuel.  'N'  dey  gotten  'im  a  li'l'  shiny 
bell  ter  shek  w'en  he  feel  r'al  bad,  'n'  a  li'l'  plate 
ter  eat  offen,  'n'  a  li'l'  coat  all  trim  eroun'  wid  li'l' 
fur  aidgin  ter  keep  'im  warm,  'n'  den  —  den  - 
dey  jes'  all  tuk  sick,  'n'  nex'  he  know  —  dey  's 
all  daid.  'Is  mamma,  'n'  'is  papa,  'n'  'is  li'l' 
brudder,  'n'  'is  uncle,  'n'  'is  li'l'  sister  where  Js 
name  Pearliney,  'n'  'is  gran'pa  where  's  ser  ole  he  's 
deef  'n'  dumb,  'n'  is  li'l'  nephew  where  's  ser  li'l'  he 
cyan'  see  nuthin'  w'en  he  's  spoke  to,  'n'  - 

At  just  this  point  Miss  North  unexpectedly 
returned  and  stood  just  inside  the  door,  waiting 
for  the  speaker  to  finish. 

"Yas'm,  'n'  'is  li'l'  nephew  where's  ser  li'l'  he 
cyan'  see  nuthin'  w'en  he  's  spoke  to.  So  'Manuel, 
co'se  he  ain'  no  kin  lef  'tall.  So  he  's  jes  'blige 
ter  keep  on  livin'  dere  all  'lone.  'N'  sometime 
in  de  night,  w'en  de  win'  gits  a-w'istlin'  'n'  a- 
r'arin'  'roun'  de  house,  he  'mence  ter  feel  kine 
o'  lonesome,  'n'  bu'y  'is  haid  'way  down  in  de 
baid  clo'es,  say: 


i4  EZEKIEL 

"'Oh,  cert'nly  is  lonesome  yere!  Oh,  cert'nly 
is  lonesome  yere!' 

"'N'  nex'  time  ole  win'  come  a-r'arin'  eroun'  de 
house,  it 's  de  trufe  it 's  a-w'istlin'  jes  like  dat,  too. 

"'Oh,  cert'nly  is  lonesome  yere!  Oh,  cert'nly 
is  lonesome  yere!' 

"But  in  de  mawnin'  co'se  'Manuel  feel  better 
'bout  it.  'N'  praesen'ly  he  got  outen  de  baid,  say: 

"'I  reckon  I  'se  'blige  git  me  a  li'P  dawg.' 

"So  he  eaten'  'is  breakfus'  offen  de  li'P  plate 
where  dey  got  'im  fus'  day  he  's  bawn,  'n'  put  on 
'is  li'P  coat  all  trim  eroun'  wid  li'P  fur  aidgin'  'n' 
start  off  down  de  road. 

"'N'  fus'  thing  he  seen  's  a  ole  yaller  dawg 
a-tippin'  off  down  de  road  on  free  laigs. 

"'Heyo!'  li'P  boy  say,  'n'  come  'long  jes' 
a-pantin'. 

"'Heyo,  dawg!'  'Manuel  say  agin;  'ef  'tain' 
ter  much  trouble,  I  'd  like  fer  yer  ter  come  live  wid 
me.  Cuz  my  kin  's  all  daid.' 

"'N'  ole  yaller  dawg  jes'  look  at  de  li'P  boy 
like  he  ain'  jes'  know  w'at  ter  say,  'n'  start  off 
down  de  road  ser  fas'  it 's  de  trufe  yer  cyan' 
see  nary  thing  'scusin'  jes'  a  li'P  dash  o'  yaller 
where  he  been. 

"'N'  co'se  'Manuel  feel  kine  o'bad  it  come  out 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL        15 

«<> 

dat-a-way,  too.  But  he  ain'  sayin'  nuthin'  'n'  jes' 
keep  on  trabblin'  down  de  road. 

"  'N'  nex'  he  know  he  seen  a  liT  w'ite  dawg 
a-settin'  up  on  de  road  on  one  laig  'n'  a-fannin' 
'erself  wid  'er  tail.  So  'Manuel,  he  jes'  step  right 
up,  say: 

"'Heyo,  liT  w'ite  dawg!  Ef  'tain'  ter  much 
trouble  I  'd  like  fer  yer  ter  come  live  wid  me. 
Cuz  my  kin  's  all  daid.' 

"  'N'  liT  w'ite  dawg  set  up  on  one  laig  agin'  nj 
keep  on  fannin'  'erself  wid  'er  tail,  'n'  speak  right 
out  in  a  r'al  kine  o'  liT  high-up  voice,  say: 

"'Yas  suh!  Yas  suh!  Cert'nly  is  proud  ter 
'blige  yer!' 

"  So  co'se  'Manuel  'n'  de  liT  dawg  jes'  turn  right 
'roun  'n'  go  runnin'  back  'ome  tergedder. 

"'N'  nex'  time  ole  win'  come  a-w'istlin'  'roun 
de  house  in  de  night,  liT  boy  jes'  stick  'is  haid 
outen  de  clo'es,  sing  out: 

"'Oh,  we  ain'  'fraid  ter-night,  cuz  yer  cyan' 
git  in!' 

"'N'  den  liT  dawg  join  in,  'n'  dey  bofe  sing  out: 

"'We  's  livin'  yere  tergedder,  'n'  yer  cyan' 
git  in!' 

"So  ole  win'  jes'  turn  'roun  'n'  run  away  agin 
eroun'  de  corner  same  way  she  come. 


1 6  EZEKIEL 

"'N'  liT  dawg's  name  Fanny.  'N'  she  allays 
keep  on  fannin'  wid  'er  tail  jes'  same  way 
's  befo'. 

"'N'  one  mawnin'  'Manuel  wek  up,  say: 

"' Fanny,  I  ain'  feel  ser  well's  mawnin','  say, 
'cuz  I  dream  ser  bad  in  de  night.'  Say,  'I  dream 
'bout  you,  too,  Fanny,  'n'  w'at  yer  s'pose !  Yer  jes' 
stan'  up  dere  where  yer  is  now,  'n'  turn  into  a  li'P 
teeny  spurtin'  fount'n  dawg,  jes'  like  dat-er-one 
over  yonder  in  de  bu'yin'  groun',  where  allays  keep 
on  spurtin'  outen  'is  mouf.  'N'  fus'  I  knows 
yer  begins  spurtin'  a  liT  spout  o'  water  right  plumb 
at  me. 

""N'  I  say,  "Stop  Fanny!  Ain't  yer  no 
mo'  sense  ?  "  'N'  yer  jes'  keep  on  a-spurtin'  at  me 
in  a  liT  stream  ez  study  's  ef  I  ain'  spoke. 

"  '  'N'  I  say,  "Stop,  Fanny!  Ain't  yer  see  w'at 
yer  's  doin'  ?"  But  't  ain'  no  use.  Yer  jes'  keep 
on  a-spurtin'  in  same  liT  kine  o'  study  stream, 
like  yer's  fixin'  ter  drown  us  bofe. 

"  '  'N'  praesen'ly  I  jes'  jump  up  'n'  say,  "Well, 
yer  ain'  gwine  drown  me  no-how!  Cuz  I  'se  gwine 
git  right  outen  yere,  yer  deef  'n'  dumb  liT  ole 
fount'n  dawg,  yer!"  It's  jes'  de  wuds  I  say, 
Fanny,  'n'  I  meks  fer  de  do'.  But  doan't  yer 
know,  't  ain'  no  use,  cuz  de  water's  gittin'  ser  deep 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL        17 

•<• 

all  eroun',  I 'se  jes'  drowndin'!  'N'  same  li'P 
stream  keep  on  a-spurtin'. 

'""Oh,  my!"  I  say,  "yer  's  drowndin'  me, 
Fanny!  Yer 's  drowndin'  me."  'N'  same  li'P 
stream  keep  on  a-spurtin'. 

"'"Oh,  stop,  Fanny!"  I  say,  "  I  'se  mos'  drown 
now!  I  is!"  I  say,  "I  'se  all  drown  now,  scusin' 
my  -  'N'  'fo'  I  'se  spoken  de  sentence,  my 

haid's  went,  too,  'n'  it 's  de  trufe  't  ain'  nuthin' 
lef  o'  me  'tall.  Nuthin'  'tall.  Cuz  I  'se  drown- 
ded — daid.  'N'  yit  same  li'P  stream  jes'  keep 
on  a-spurtin'.' 

'"Oh,  my!  Ain'  dat  tur'ble!'  Fanny  say,  w'en 
li'P  boy  tell  'er  'is  dream. 

"'Cert'nly  wuz!'  he  say,  'cert'niy  wuz  tur'ble. 
'N'  I  been  feelin'  r'al  po'ly  ebber  sence,'  he  say. 
'  'N'  seem  like  I  feels  wuss  eve'y  time  I  looks  at  yer, 
Fanny,'  he  say.  'Cuz  I  jes'  cyan'  seem  ter  help 
'mag'nin'  yer's  fixin'  ter  turn  inter  a  li'P  spurtin' 
fount'n.' 

•"  Co'se  li'P  dawg  feel  r'al  bad  w'en  she  hyeah 
dat,  too.  Say: 

"'Oh,  ..Men'  'n'  master!'  (li'P  dawg  allays  call 
'im  frien'  'n'  master  w'en  she  speak.)  Say, 
'Oh,  frien'  'n'  master!  I  'clare  I  ain't!  I  'clare 
I  ain'  fixin'  ter  turn  inter  no  li'P  spurtin'  fount'n!' 


i8  EZEKIEL 

"I  doan'  want  ter  hyeah  no  imperdence  'bout  it, 
nudder,'  'Manuel  say.  'N'  I  tells  yer,  yer 
prob'ly  is  jes'  natchelly  fixin'  ter  turn  inter  a  li'F 
spurtin'  fount'n.' 

"'Oh,  but  I  ain't!'  Fanny  say,  'I  'clare  I  ain't, 
liT  frien'  'n'  master!' 

"'N'  't  ain'  no  use  cryin'  'n'  ca'yin'  on  no  sech 
a  way/  'Manuel  say.  '  'N'  now  I  'spec  I  'se  'blige 
turn  yer  outen  de  house  fer  de  res'  o'  de  mawnin'. 
Cuz  meks  me  feel  po;ly  eve'y  time  I  looks  at  yer.' 

"Den  Fanny,  co'se  she  keep  on  cryin'  'n' 
ca'yin'  on,  'n'  say  she  cyan'  go  outen  de  house, 
'n'  'Manuel  say  she  mus',  'n'  Fanny  say  she  cyan', 
'n'  'Manuel  say  she  mus,'  'n'  start  off  chasin'  er' 
'roun'  de  room,  'n'  outen  de  do',  'n'  cross  de  ya'd, 
'n'  down  de  road  -  twell  praesen'ly,  seem  like 
'Manuel  jes'  'blige'  keep  on  runnin'  after  Fanny 
cuz  he  cyan'  stop.  Cuz  he  call  out: 

" '  Stop,  Fanny !     I  ain'  gwine  chase  yer  no  mo' !' 

"But  she  jes'  keep  right  on,  'n'  'Manuel  after 
'er,  down  de  road  'n'  cross  de  fiel'  -  -  dey  cyan' 
stop  no-ways  —  cross  de  fiel',  fas'er  'n'  fas'er, 
twell  dey  come  right  out  siden  de  ribber. 
'N'  w'at  yer  s'pose?  Wat  yer  s'pose!  Fanny, 
she  jes'  jump  right  in!  It 's  de  trufe!  She  jes' 
jump  right  in! 


«• « 


9% 

w   H 

Q 

a  8 

H     55 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL       19 

"'N'  'Manuel,  he  jes'  stan'  dere  lookin'  after 
'er  where  she  jump,  like  he  cyan'  move. 

"'Oh,  yer's  drowndin'  me!'  she  call  out,  jes' 
like  KT  boy's  dream,  only  it 's  Fanny  where's 
drowndin'  now;  ' yer's  drowndin'  me!  Oh,  I  'se 
mos'  drown'  now!' 

"'N'  praesen'ly  she  go  clare  outen  sight. 

"'N'  yit  'Manuel  jes'  keep  on  stan'in'  dere  like 
he  cyan'  move.  Twell  nex'  he  knew,  he  seen 
li'P  dawg's  tail  comin'  right  up  outen  de  water, 
'n'  he  hyeah  'er  call  out  fer  de  las'  time: 

" ' Oh,  KT  frien'  'n'  master!  I  'se  all  drownded 
now  'scusin'  my  ta-il!' 

"'N'  'Manuel  jes'  start  up  'n'  call  out: 

"'No,  yer  ain't!     No,  yer  ain't!     Is  yer?' 

"'N'  he  wait  jes'  tremblin'  fer  de  answer. 

"But  'tain'  no  answer  come,  cuz  Fanny's 
drownded.  'N'  't  ain'  nary  thing  lef  'cep'n'  de 
tip  en'  of  'er  tail  a-fannin'  'n'  a-fannin'  jes'  a  li'P 
teeny  bit  'bove  de  water,  wid  de  breeze. 

"Co'se  'Manuel  feel  awful  bad  w'en  he  seen 
w'at  he  done,  too.  'N'  he  jes'  drag  'isself  back  'ome 
agin  'n'  se'  down  'n'  pitch  right  in  'n'  cry.  But 
seem  like  dat  mek  'im  feel  wussen  he  is  befo'.  So 
nex'  he  gotten  'im  a  li'P  fish  pole  'n'  start  out  agin. 
'N'  he  se'  down  on  de  bank  by  de  ribber,  'n'  he 


20  EZEKIEL 

putten  a  liT  poke  chop  on  de  en  o'  de  line,  V  he 
fro  it  out  in  de  water  'n'  sing  out  all  kine  o'  shek- 
kin'  like: 

"'Oh,  Fanny!  It 's  a  liT  poke  chop  on  de  en' 
o'  de  line!  Ef  yer  could  only  jes'  tek  a  liT  bite! 
It 's  a  liT  poke  chop  on  de  en'  o'  de  line,  Fanny!' 

"But  'tain'  no  answer,  'n'  all  he  seen 's  jes' 
liT  dawg's  tail  a-fannin'  'n'  a-fannin'. 

"  'N'  he  jes'  keep  on  settin'  dere  wid  'is  pole,  'n' 
de  liT  poke  chop  on  de  en'  o'  de  line,  but  he  ain' 
nuver  hyeah  nuthin',  'n'  all  he  ebber  seen's  jes' 
same  liT  en'  of  a  tail  a-fannin  'n'  a-fannin'  jes' 
a  liT  teeny  bit  'bove  de  water,  wid  de  breeze." 

"Is  that  the  end  of  the  story,  Ezekiel?"  Miss 
North's  face  struggled  a  bit  ineffectually  to  com 
pose  itself,  and  Ezekiel  sat  down  surrounded  on 
all  sides  by  speaking  glances  of  admiration. 

"Yas'm,  dat  's  de  en'  o'  de  story,"  replied 
Ezekiel.  And  at  just  this  point  the  door  opened, 
and  Miss  Jane  Lane  walked  into  the  room. 

Ezekiel,  with  startled  recollection,  looked  sud 
denly,  momentarily  alarmed,  and  half  rose  from 
his  seat. 

"  'T  wa'n'  all  —  jes'  a  -  -  't  wa'n'  jes'  a  —  true 
story,"  he  whispered  eagerly,  explanatively, 


"YES  —  "    SHE  ANSWERED,    "HE   CAN   STAY" 


THE  ENTRANCE  OF  EZEKIEL       21 

advancing  toward  Miss  North.  "Twa'n'  jes'  a 
true  story,  Miss  No'th!  Miss  Jane!  It's  a  —  a 
kine  o'  mek  'blieve  story  I  jes'  done  tole  'em! 
Jes'  kine  o'  mek  'blieve!  But  Miss  No'th,  she 
done  tole  me  I  kin,  ain't  yer,  Miss  No'th!  Yer 
tole  me  I  kin  tell  it!  Ain't  yer?" 

Miss  North's  voice  was  inscrutable. 

"Yes,  I  told  you  that  you  could."  And  the 
children,  in  a  long,  winding  file  marched  out. 

"  Well,  how  has  he  done,  Miss  North  ?  "  inquired 
Miss  Jane,  looking  quite  prepared  for  the  worst. 
"  Do  you  think  that  it  will  be  possible  to  keep  him  ? 
Can  he  stay?" 

Again  Miss  North's  face  struggled  to  compose 
itself  as  she  looked  first  at  Miss  Jane  and  then  at 
Ezekiel,  still  standing  before  them  in  alarmed, 
apprehensive,  quavering  surrender. 

"Yes, "  she  answered,  "he  can  stay." 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT 


FUS'    TIME    HE    EVER    SEEN    'ER,  SHE    COME    A-FLYIN* 
RIGHT  IN  FRU  DE  DO',  A-SETTIN'  ON  A  Ll'l/  LEAF  " 


II 

EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT 

MISS  JANE  LANE  sat  in  a  straight-backed 
chair  on  her  clean,  white  veranda,  and, 
quite  ignoring  the  glistening,  alluring  Hampton 
Roads  which  beckoned  to  her  in  the  morning  sun, 
gave  her  undivided  attention  to  a  small  note  which 
she  held  in  her  hand.  And  as  she  read,  Miss 
Jane's  face  became  both  shocked  and  grieved. 
Her  protege,  Ezekiel  Esquire  Jordan,  sat  on  a  step 
below  her  and,  looking  both  cheerful  and  resigned 
to  anything,  regarded  the  glistening,  alluring 
" Roads"  which  also  beckoned  to  him  in  the 
morning  sun. 

But  Miss  Jane  had  laid  down  her  paper  and  was 
looking  at  him,  still  both  shocked  and  grieved. 

"To  think,  Ezekiel,"  she  finally  began,  tak 
ing  the  bull  fairly  and  squarely  by  the  horns, 
"to  think,  that  after  all  the  trouble  and  pains 
that  have  been  taken  to  get  you  into  the  Whit- 
tier  School,  and  after  their  consideration  in  being 

25 


26  EZEKIEL 

willing  to  admit  you  there,  to  think,  that  after 
all  this,  you  can't  manage  to  get  there  on  time" 

"Yas'm,"  murmured  Ezekiel  contritely. 

"Well,  now,  just  tell  me  why  it  is  that  you  can't 
manage  to  get  there  on  time." 

"/  dunno'm,"  murmured  Ezekiel  again. 

"Four  mornings!"  went  on  Miss  Jane.  "For 
Jour  mornings,  so  I  hear  from  the  principal,  in  a 
note  written  yesterday  afternoon,  you  have  been 
late.  Why,  I  am  ashamed  of  you,  Ezekiel! " 

Ezekiel  failed  to  respond,  even  briefly. 

"What  excuse  did  you  have  to  offer,  I  should 
like  to  know?  What  reason  did  you  give  Miss 
Doane?  Any?" 

"Yas'm.  I  jes'  'mence  tellin'  'er  all  'bout  'ow 
I  'se  comin'  down  de  road,  'n'  all  'bout  ole 
man  where  's  pushin'  'long  KT  ole  cyart  'n'  a- 
sellin'  KT  hot  cakes  -  -  'n'  she  say  dat  ain'  no 
'scuse,  'n'  she  ain'  gwine  lemme  come  't  all  lessen 
I  kin  git  dere  time  de  res'  does." 

"I  should  say  not,"  agreed  Miss  Jane,  in  no 
doubtful  tones.  "I  only  wonder  that  they  have 
kept  you  as  long  as  they  have.  Now,  the  truth 
of  the  matter  is,  Ezekiel,  there  is  not  the  slightest 
excuse  for  your  having  been  late  once.  Not  once. ' ' 

"Yas'm,  Miss  Doane  she  say  'tain'  no  'scuse 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  27 

nudder.  'N'  I  jes'  'mence  tellin'  'er  'bout  ole 
man  where  's  sellin'  li'l'  hot  cakes  - 

"But  that  had  nothing  to  do  with  you.  Ab 
solutely  nothing." 

"No'm,  'tain'  nuth'n  do  wid  me.  But  ole 
man  come  'long  a-pushin'  on  'is  cyart,  say: 

"'Heyo,  boy!  Ain't  yer  want  a  li'l'  hot  cake 
fer  yer  breakfus'  ? '  Speak  jes'  dat-a-way,  Miss 
Jane.  Say : 

"'Heyo,  boy!  Ain't  yer  want  a  li'l'  hot  cake 
fer  yer  breakfus'  ?' 

"'N'  co'se  I  ain't.  'N'  yit  co'se  I 'se  'blige 
answer  'im,  too.  So: 

"'No,'  I  say,  'I  am'  want  no  li'l'  hot  cake  fer 
my  breakfus'.' 

"'Ain't  yer?'  ole  man  say,  'ain't  yer?  Cuz 
I  kin  give  yer  li'l'  hot  cake  fer  a  penny.' 

"'Penny  nuth'n','  I  say.  Yas'm,  it's  jes'  de 
way  1  answer  'im,  Miss  Jane.  'Penny  nuth'n',' 
I  say.  Cuz  co'se  I  knows  I  ain'  no  time  fer  no 
sech  foolishness.  But  same  time  I  jes'  'appen 
ter  kine  o'  feel  in  my  pocket,  yer  know,  jes'  kine 
o'  feel  in  my  pocket." 

"Now,  this  is  all  entirely  unnecessary,  Eze- 
kiel,"  put  in  Miss  Jane;  "you  were  late  to  school, 
and  that  is  enough," 


28  EZEKIEL 

"Yas'm.  But  w'en  I  putten  my  han'  in  my 
pocket,  yer  see,  yer  see  I  jes'  natchelly  - 

"Yes.  I  don't  doubt  you  found  a  penny. 
Now  really,  are  n't  you  ashamed,  Ezekiel,  to 
have  made  yourself  late  to  school  in  this  inex 
cusable  way?" 

"'N'  co'se  ole  man,  jes'  soon's  he  seen  dat 
penny,  he  jes'  whup  outen  a  li'P  cake  'n'  putten 
it  on  de  fiah  twell  it  begins  a-sizzlin'  'n'  a-smok- 
in'  'n'  a-poppin'  jes'  like  praesen'ly  somebody  '11 
be  'blige  ter  eat  it.  'N'  ole  man  say: 

'"Hyeah's  yer  liT  hot  cake  fer  yer!' 

"'N'  co'se  I 'se  r'al  mad  w'en  he  talk  dat-a- 
way,  too.  Cuz  co'se  I  ain'  no  time  ter  eat  nuth'n'. 

"'G'long!'  I  say.  'I  ain'  gwine  eat  no  liT 
hot  cake,'  I  say,  'cuz  I  ain'  time!  You  hyeah?' 

"  'Ain'  time!'  he  say,  <  'N'  after  I  'se  jes'  been 
a-cookin'  it  fer  yer!  Ain'  time!  Well,  yer  is! 
Yer  's  'blige  ter  eat  it!' 

"'I  ain'  nudder!'  I  say.    'No  suh!    I  ain't!' 

"'N'  same  time,  co'se,  liT  cake  's  jes'  a-sizzlin' 
on  de  fiah. 

"'Yer  ain't!'  he  holler,  'well,  who  is?  I  ain't! 
Somebody  's  'blige  ter,  ain't  dey  ?  'N'  I  ain't !' 

""N'  I  ain't!'  I  say. 

""N1  I  ain't!'  he  holler  back. 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  29 

""N'  I  ain't!'  I  holler  back  'gin. 

"'N'  li'P  cake  's  jes'  a-sizzlin'  on  de  fiah." 

"Ezekiel!"  put  in  Miss  Jane.  "This  is 
altogether  too  ridiculous.  Now  I  should  like  you 
to  talk  common  sense." 

"Wha'm  yer  say, -Miss  Jane?     Yas'm. 

""N'  I  ain't!'  I  holler  back  agin.  Yas'm,  I 
jes'  holler  back,  Miss  Jane." 

"Very  well.  I  don't  care  what  you  hollered 
back.  And  I  don't  care  to  hear  anything  more 
about  the  old  man  or  the  little  cake,  either." 

Ezekiel  looked  momentarily  crushed. 

"Of  course,"  she  added,  more  leniently,  "I 
suppose  you  ate  it,  did  n't  you?" 

"Well,  yer  see,  Miss  Jane  —  he  jes'  keep  on 
a-holl'in'  an  a-holl'in',  twell  praesen'ly  — yer  see 
-  I  'se  jes'  'blige  ter  eat  it." 

"Yes.  I  thought  so.  Now,  Ezekiel.  This 
morning  /  will  see  that  you  get  to  school  in 
time.  No,  it  is  n't  time  to  start  yet.  I  will  tell 
you  when  it  is.  I  can't  get  over  your  seeming 
lack  of  appreciation,  Ezekiel.  I  sometimes  won 
der  how  it  was  that  you  were  ever  admitted 
to  the  Whittier  School,  anyway." 

Ezekiel  looked  rather  mystified  about  it  him 
self. 


30  EZEKIEL 

"And  especially  after  that  very  queer  story 
that  you  told  that  first  afternoon  —  about  - 

"'Bout  'Manuel  'n'  'is  liT  dawg,"  explained 
Ezekiel.  "Yas'm,  Miss  No'th  she  tole  me  I 
kin  tell  a  story  ter  de  chillen.  'N'  's  all  'bout 
'Manuel  'n'  'is  liT  dawg.  'N'  'bout  after  de  liT 
dawg  gotten  drownded,  'Manuel  he  's  jes'  'blige 
ter  live  dere  all  'lone." 

"It  was  very  good  of  Miss  North  to  let  you 
tell  it,  I  am  sure.  For  of  course  she  must  have 
known  that  it  was  an  entirely  made-up  story." 

"But  I  ain'  tole  'em  all  'bout  it,  nudder. 
Cuz  af  de  li'P  dawg's  drownded,  w'y,  af  dat, 
co'se,  'Manuel 's  all  'lone  'gin.  So  praesen'ly  he  's 
jes'  'blige  git  'im  anudder  liT  an'mul. 

"'N'  after  studyin'  'bout  it  long  time,  he  'cide 
ter  git  'im  a  liT  chick'n." 

"A  chicken?"  questioned  Miss  Jane,  "I 
should  n't  think  that  a  chicken  would  have 
made  a  very  satisfactory  pet." 

"Yas'm,  he  gotten  'im  a  liT  chick'n.  'N'  fus' 
time  he  ever  seen  'er,  she  come  a-flyin'  right  in 
fru  de  do',  a-settin'  on  a  liT  leaf." 

"A  leaf?  But  no  chicken  could  have  been 
supported  by  a  leaf." 

"Yas'm,  a-flyin'  right  in  fru  de  do'  a-settin' 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  31 

on  a  li'P  leaf.  'N'  she  keep  on  flyin'  'long  on 
de  leaf,  right  up,  V  right  up,  twell  she  gotten 
clare  up  ter  de  tip  top  o'  de  room.  'N'  den  she 
turn  'roun,  'n'  jes'  set  righ'  down  on  a  li'P  sun 
beam  where  's  comin'  in  fru  de  winder." 

"But  she  couldn't  have  sat  down  on  a  sun 
beam,  Ezekiel.  Be  sensible." 

"  Yas'm,  she  is.  Jes'  a-settin'  up  dere  on  a  li'P 
sunbeam.  'N'  praesen'ly  li'P  boy  calls  out: 

"'Oh,  ain't  yer  gwine  come  down?  Ain't  yer 
gwine  come  down  ?  Come  down,  'n'  we  '11  git 
us  some  breakfus'!' 

"But  li'P  chick'n  on  de  sunbeam,  co'se  she 
ain'  gwine  be  fool  dat-a-way  'thout  axin'  a  li'P 
mo'  'bout  it.  So  she  answer  back: 

"' Wat's  yer  gwine  have  fer  breakfus'?' 

"'Gwine  have  some   tea  —  'n'   some  cake  — 


"'Well,  I  ain'  comin'  down  fer  no  sech  a  thing/ 
chick'n  say. 

"'But  it's  co'n  cake,"  'Manuel  call  out.  <Wid 
li'P  kernels  o'  co'n  a-stickin'  right  into  it!' 

'"Well,  w'y  ain'  yer  say  so  'fo'?'  she  say. 
'N'  she  jes'  hop  right  offen  de  li'P  sunbeam, 
'n'  flew  righ'  down  on  de  flo'  siden  de  li'P  boy. 

"'N'  'Manuel  he  jes'  'kine  o'  has  ter  laf  to 


32  EZEKIEL 

'isself  ter  think  she  been  ser  sassy.  'N'  yit  he 
speak  up  r'al  deep  'n'  kine  o'  big  like,  say: 

'"Wa't's  yer  name,  chick'n?' 

"'My  name   Joshua,'   chick'n  say  r'al  peart. 

"'N'  she  give  'er  lef  wing  a  flop,  'n'  snap  'er 
eyes  at  de  liT  boy  twell  he  's  mos'  'blige  ter  laf 
agin. 

"'Joshua!'  he  say,  'ain'  dat  kine  o'  funny 
name  fer  —  fer  a  chick'n?' 

'"No,  'tain'  nuth'n'  funny  'bout  it!'  Joshua 
say,  r'al  mad,  'n'  flap  bofe  'er  wings  jes'  like 
she  's  gwine  fly  up  on  de  sunbeam  agin. 

'"Dat's  de  trufe,'  'Manuel  say,  'cert'nly  is 
de  trufe.  'Tain'  nuth'n'  funny  'bout  it.  Cer 
t'nly  hope  yer  's  well,  Joshua.' 

"'N'  af  dat  liT  chick'n  'n'  'Manuel  live  dere 
'lone  tergedder. 

"'N'  liT  chick'n's  name  Joshua  jes'  same's 
befo'. 

"'N'  eve'ything  jes'  goes  'long  so,  'cep'n'  w'en 
Joshua  git  mad  at  de  liT  boy.  'N'  den  she 
allays  stick  outen'  'er  fedders,  'n'  snap  'er  eyes, 
'n'  flap  'er  wings  like  she  gwine  up  on  de  liT  sun 
beam  agin,  twell  'Manuel  speak  up  quick  'n'  say: 

'"Oh,  co'se  I  ain'  'ten'  no  harm,  Joshua! 
'Scuse  me!  Co'se  I  ain'  'ten'  no  harm!' 


„      EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  33 

"But  one  mawnin'  liT  boy  he  seem  ter  kine  o' 
fergit  'bout  Joshua  bein'  s'  easy  ter  git  mad,  V 
jes'  after  breakfus',  w'en  dey's  fixin'  ter  clean  up 
de  house,  he  slap  'er  kine  o'  laffin  'n'  easy  like 
siden  de  haid,  call  out: 

"'Come  'long,  ole  chick'n!  Who  you  think 
y'  are,  a-tippin'  'roun'  yere  ez  ef  yer  's  to  a  party? 
Come  'long,  now,  'n'  git  yer  wuk  done!' 

"'N'  Joshua,  ain'  she  mad!  Oh,  my!  She 
jes'  stick  outen  'er  fedders,  'n'  swell  up,  'n'  snap 
'er  eyes  at  de  li'P  boy,  'n'  begins  flappin'  'er 
wings,  flap,  flap,  flap !  'N'  she  's  gwine  right  up 
on  dat  li'P  sunbeam  agin,  sho'. 

"'Oh,  w'at  yer  stan'in'  up  dere  a-flappin' 
away  like  a  ole  win'mill  fer?'  'Manuel  say. 
'Wat  yer  stan'in'  up  dere  like  dat  fer,  huh?' 

"Oh,  my!  Joshua  ain't  'er  eyes  snap!  'N' 
flap,  flap,  flap  she  went  agin,  flap,  flap,  flap! 
Right  stret  up,  up,  up,  ter  dat  li'P  sunbeam! 
'N'  den  she  turn  'roun',  'n'  se'  down  'n'  look 
down  at  'Manuel  agin,  'n'  'er  eyes  keep  on 
a-snappin',  'n'  'er  fedders  a-stickin'  out,  'n'  'er 
wings  still  a-gwine  flap,  flap,  flap! 

"'Well,  w'at  yer  s'  mad  'bout  now?'  'Manuel 
say ;  '  yer  better  come  down  now !  Yer  better  come 
down  now,  Joshua !  Cuz  co'se  I  ain'  ten'  no  harm ! ' 


34  EZEKIEL 

"But  KT  chick'n  ain'  say  nary  word,  jes'  set 
dere  on  de  KT  sunbeam,  'n'  ain'  say  nary  word. 

"'N'  all  day  'Manuel  keep  on  a-callin',  'n' 
all  day  Joshua  she  jes'  keep  on  a-settin'  dere, 
'n'  ain'  say  nary  word.  Twell  praesen'ly,  w'en 
it  'mence  gettin'  kine  o'  late,  li'F  boy  call  out: 

"'Well,  w'at  yer  gwine  do  w'en  de  sun's  went 
down?  W'at  yer  gwine  set  on  w'en  de  sun's 
went  down?' 

"'N'   Joshua  she  speak  up  fer  de  fus'  time. 

""Gwine  set  on  de  moon,'  she  say. 

"'N'  doan't  yer  know,  jes's  she  spoken  de 
words,  KT  sunbeam  begins  ter  flicker  back  'n' 
fofe,  back  'n'  fofe,  'n'  praesen'ly  it  jes'  flicker 
right  out  fru  de  winder.  'N'  same  time  it  all 
'mence  gittin'  ser  kine  o'  dark,  seem  like  'Man 
uel  he  cyan'  see  nuth'n'  'tall.  'N'  all  he  kin 
hyeah  's  jes'  KT  chick'n  still  a-flappin'  jes'  same 
way  's  'fo'.  So  he  jes'  wait  —  twell  it  begin  git- 
tin'  a  li'P  lighter,  'n'  a  li'l'  lighter,  twell  sho'  nuff, 
w'en  he  looks  up  agin  he  seen  a  r'al  shinin'  liT 
moonbeam  a-comin'  right  in  fru  de  winder  jes' 
where  sunbeam  's  went  out. 

"'N'  Joshua  she  jes'  'turn  'roun  'n'  set  right 
down  on  de  moonbeam. 

"'N'  li'P  boy  he  look  up  fru  de  light  where's 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  35 

comin'  down  ser  bright  'n'  shinin'  fum  de  li'l' 
beam,  twell  he  seen  Joshua  a-settin'  dere,  'n' 
den  he  jes'  lay  down  on  de  flo'  where  it 's  a  li'l' 
nudder  dash  o'  light,  'n'  -  -  drap  right  off  ter 
sleep.  'N'  he  sleep  dere  all  night  long  on  same 
li'l'  dash  o'  light. 

U'N'  Joshua  keep  on  a-settin'  dere  all  night 
too,  on  same  li'l'  moonbeam. 

U'N'  so  she  keep  it  up  —  jes'  same--'n'  ain' 
nuver  come  down  —  keep  on  a-settin'  on  de 
sunbeam  all  day  'n'  de  moonbeam  all  night. 
'N'  she  git  thinner  'n'  thinner,  'n'  smaller  'n' 
smaller,  'n'  still  she  ain'  come  down. 

"'N'  one  night  de  li'l'  boy  look  up  in  de  light 
•n'  begins  ter  cry,  'n'  say: 

"'Oh,  yer 's  gittin'  smaller  'n'  smaller,  Josh 
ua  !  Yer  's  ser  small  now  I  cyant  sca'cely  see  yer ! ' 

"'N'  it's  mos'  mawnin'  when  he  spoke. 

"'N'  praesen'ly  he  kin  hyeah  sump'n  where 
soun'  like  de  li'l'  chick'n's  voice  kine  o'  far  'way, 
say: 

"'Good-by!  I 'se  ser  small  I  seem  ter  jes' 
be  gwine  right  off  in  de  moonbeam!' 

"'N'  it  flicker  'n'  flicker  agin,  'n'  at  las'  flicker 
out  fru  de  winder. 

"'N'  'Manuel  he  jes'  wait  a-lookin'  up.     Jes' 


36  EZEKIEL 

wait.  'N'  de  sunbeam  come  back.  'N'  still 
he 's  lookin'  up.  But  she  ain'  dere.  Not  no 
liT  chick'n  a-settin'  on  de  beam.  Not  nary 
one.  Cuz  Joshua's  went  off  in  de  moonbeam, 
V  dat  's  de  en'  o'  de  story.  .  .  ." 

Miss  Jane  passed  her  hand  over  her  forehead 
and  glanced  off  at  the  beckoning  Hampton 
Roads. 

There  was  a  faint,  far-away  sound  down  the 
road. 

"What  a  very  —  queer  sort  of  story,  Ezekiel. 
How  did  you  ever  happen  to  think  of  such  a 
thing?" 

From  away  down  the  road  came  the  faint,  far 
away  sound  again. 

"Ezekiel!    What's  that?" 

He  looked  back  at  her,  half  confusedly  at  first, 
then  with  sudden,  vivid  realization. 

"It's  de  school-bell  a-ringin',  Miss  Jane! 
It  —  it 's  de  school-bell  —  a-ringin' ! " 

"I  know  it."  Miss  Jane  looked  suddenly 
horrified.  "And  I  told  you  —  I  would  tell  you! 
Run,  Ezekiel!  Run  as  fast  as  you  can!" 

Ezekiel  jumped  from  the  clean  white  veranda 
and  swept  off  into  the  road.  Miss  Jane  stood 
looking  at  him  as  he  gradually  faded  before  her 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  37 

eyes.  Into  the  road  —  around  the  corner  —  into 
another  long,  straight  road  —  and  he  was  gone. 

Other  people,  big  and  little,  traveling  on  in 
the  long,  straight  road,  stepped  aside  and  looked 
curiously  at  him. 

Cling!  Clang!  came  the  clear,  small  note  of 
the  little  Whittier  bell  —  still  far  away,  and  he 
was  still  sweeping  on,  a  strange,  ever-increasing 
thing  of  speed.  A  something  real  seemed  actually 
to  have  taken  hold  of  him. 

"Not  no  mo' !  She  —  she  say  —  I  cyan'  come 
-  no  mo'  --  ef  I  'se  late!"  he  gasped  between  his 
breaths.  "Not  no  mo'!" 

And  the  Whittier  School  stood  at  the  other 
end  of  the  road,  growing  gradually  in  distinct 
ness. 

"Not  — no  mo'!" 

It  grew  gradually,  surely.  He  could  see  it 
standing  up  there  —  almost  mockingly.  He 
thought  —  he  could  see  it  all,  too,  just  as  it 
was  inside.  The  children  just  getting  ready 
to  march  to  the  assembly  room,  listening  to 
the  first  music  from  the  piano,  coming  in  to 
them  faintly  —  Miss  Doane  on  the  platform 
and  Miss  North  looking  —  perhaps  she  was 
looking  for  him  —  she  always  looked  so  sorry 


38  EZEKIEL 

when  he  was  late  —  and  yet  —  she  always  seemed 
so  quick  to  understand.  Oh,  he  did  n't  mean 
to  be  late  this  morning! 

"Not  no  mo' I" 

A  boy  striding  on  ahead  of  him  fell  kicking  in 
the  dust,  but  Ezekiel  —  did  n't  know.  Ezekiel 
was  tearing,  flying,  sweeping  breathlessly  on  to  the 
Whittier  School.  Another  boy  dodged  and  shied 
off  into  the  hedge  at  one  side,  but  Ezekiel  —  did  n't 
know.  Ezekiel  was  tearing,  flying,  sweeping  on. 
The  last  note  of  the  bell  died  away  and  reverber 
ated,  and  he  was  in  the  school-yard. 

And  just  here  something  unexpected  but  fully 
realized  happened.  A  small  kindergarten  child 
stepped  suddenly  before  him,  and  down  went 
the  child.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  Ezekiel 
stopped.  It  was  something  like  the  quick,  jolt 
ing  stop  of  an  electric  car,  and  he  looked  down 
breathless,  distressed,  and  haggard.  But  it  was 
only  a  momentary  setback.  In  another  mo 
ment  the  child  was  picked  up,  thrown  up,  and 
he  was  on  again,  up  the  steps,  through  the  back 
hall  and  into  the  school-room,  while  the  kinder- 
gartner  hung  back  over  his  shoulder  crying  mis 
erably. 

"Why,  Ezekiel!" 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  39 

Miss  North  looked  at  him,  endeavoring  to  com 
prehend.  And  the  children  looked  too. 

Ezekiel  dropped  into  his  seat,  and  the  kin- 
clergartner  dropped  gently  to  the  floor  beside 
him. 

"  I  —  I  —  I  ain't  late  —  is  I  ?  I  ain't  late  —  is  I, 
MissNo'th?" 

His  head  dropped  down  on  his  chest,  which 
heaved  with  convulsed,  exhausted  little  gasps. 

"Why,  no,  you  are  n't  late,"  she  began  gently, 
looking  at  him  wonderingly,  "but  —  what  in  the 
world  have  you  been  doing,  Ezekiel  ?  What  in  the 
world  "  -  she  picked  up  the  small  kindergartner 
and  sat  down  wiping  away  its  big,  unhappy  tears. 

And  just  then  the  door  opened,  and  a  boy  with 
a  muddy,  scratched  face  came  shuffling  into  the 
room. 

"He  —  he  knock  me  inter  de  brier  bush!"  he 
began,  pointing  wrathfully  at  Ezekiel. 

Again  the  door  opened,  and  another  boy  came  in. 
He  was  limping  with  conscious  heroism,  and  a 
big  black  and  blue  bump  on  his  forehead  stood 
out  with  unmistakable  distinctness. 

"Ole  'Zekle  Jerden  knock  me  down,  Miss 
No'th!"  he  began,  with  perhaps  an  even  more 
violent  show  of  wrath,  "I  'se  jes'  walkin'  down 


40  EZEKIEL 

de  road,  V  ole  'Zekle  Jerden  come  'long  'n'  knock 
me  down!" 

Miss  North,  with  dawning  comprehension,  and 
a  sudden  faint,  rebellious  contraction  at  the 
corners  oi  the  mouth,  looked  at  the  new-comers. 

"I  —  I  am  sorry.     Sit  down,  both  of  you." 

The  small  kindergartner  still  sobbed  softly, 
and  Ezekiel  looked  up  wearily. 

"Is  I  —  hurt  dat  HT  chile  —  Miss  No'th?"  he 
whispered.     "I  —  I  seem  ter  be  gwine  ser  fas' 
—I  couldn'  seem  ter  stop." 

She  put  her  cool  hand  on  his  hot,  thumping 
forehead. 

"No,  you  have  n't  hurt  him.  But  how  did  all 
this  —  happen,  Ezekiel  ?  " 

"I     didn' — wanter  —  git     sent  —  'way,"     he 
whispered  again,  faintly.     "But  I  wisht  I 'd  - 
started  —  jes'    a    KT    bit    earlier.     I  —  reckon 
Jt  ain'  been  —  quite  —  ser  much  trouble  'bout  it 
-  ef  I  had." 

"I  wish  you  had,  Ezekiel." 

And  once  again  the  door  opened,  and  this  time 
Miss  Jane  Lane  walked  into  the  room. 

"  Miss  North,"  she  began,  in  a  low  tone  of  abject 
apology,  "I  am  very  sorry  that  Ezekiel  was  late, 
but  I  want  to  explain  that  it  was  my  fault,  entirely 


EZEKIEL  IN  TRANSIT  41 

my  fault.  I  really  told  him  that  I  would  tell  him 
when  it  was  time  to  start.  But  —  he  was  telling 
me  a  story  -  "  Miss  Jane  looked  positively  foolish 
-  "and  I  did  n't  realize  the  time." 

Miss  North's  smile  was  comforting. 

"He  was  telling  you  a  story?"  Miss  North's 
smile  broadened.  .  .  .  "But  he  was  not  late, 
Miss  Lane.  He  came  in  at  the  last  moment,  to 
be  sure,  behind  the  others  —  but  he  was  not  late." 

"  Not  late  ?  He  just  escaped  being  late  ?  Why, 
how  very  glad  I  am!  But  surely  it  would  have 
been  better  if  he  had  started  earlier,  much  better. 
I  will  see  that  he  does  start  earlier  in  the  future, 
Miss  North." 

Miss  North  glanced  around  the  room,  which 
presented  a  strangely  battered-up  appearance, 
glanced  at  the  boy  with  the  scratched  cheeks  and 
the  boy  with  the  bumped  forehead,  and  then 
down  at  the  small  kindergartner,  still  sobbing 
softly  into  her  skirts.  And  finally  her  glance 
went  back  to  Ezekiel,  sitting  limp  and  exhausted 
in  his  seat,  with  his  head  dropped  wearily. 

"Yes,"  she  agreed.  "Yes,  I  do  think  that 
it  would  be  better  for  him  to  start  —  a  little 
earlier." 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS 


'    SAME   TIME,    SEEM   LIKE    I    KIN   HYEAH 

A  KINE  o'  LI'L'  RIPPLIN'   ..." 


Ill 

EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS 

THEY  sat  on  Miss  Jane's  clean,  white  veranda, 
and  the  Hampton  Roads  beckoned  again  in 
the  distance. 

"I  am  so  pleased/'  Miss  Jane  was  saying  to  her 
protege,  "so  pleased  to  hear  that  you  are  doing  so 
well  at  the  Whittier  School,  Ezekiel." 

Ezekiel  looked  pleased,  too,  as  he  looked  shyly 
away  from  Miss  Jane  to  the  beckoning  waters. 

"Yes,  it  was  only  yesterday,"  Miss  Jane  went 
on  complacently,  "that  Miss  North  was  telling  me 
how  very  well  you  were  doing." 

"Yas'm.  Miss  No'th  tole  me  so,  too,"  agreed 
Ezekiel,  still  pleased,  "las'  time  I  read  my  lesson. 
Say  I  cert'nly  's  doin'  fine.  Say  I  cert'nly  kin  read 
r'al  good." 

"And  yet  there  was  a  time,"  went  on  Miss 
Jane  in  gentle  reminiscence,  "when  we  all 
wondered  whether  you  would  ever  learn  to  read 
at  all." 

45 


46  EZEKIEL 

"Yas'm.  Mis'  Simons  use  say  so,  too.  Say 
she  reckon  I  am'  nuver  gwine  learn  nuthin'." 

"Mrs.  Simons?" 

"  Yas'm.  De  w'ite  lady  where  I  wuk  las'  sum 
mer.  Live  clair  over  yonder  crossen  de  water. 
Keep  on  ridin'  on  de  water  mos'  all  de  mawnin' 
time  I  went  ter  Mis'  Simons." 

"  H  —  m.     She  lives  in  Norfolk  ?  " 

"No'm,  not  zackly  in  Norfolk.  'N'  yit  kine  o' 
in  Norfolk,  too.  Live  off  in  a  r'al,  big  kine  o' 
settin'  back  place,  wid  whole  lots  o'  trees  'n' 
bushes  like,  'n'  birds  a-singin'  in  de  branches,  'n' 
a  HT  brook  runnin'  along  'nine  de  house." 

"Yes.  It  must  have  been  very  pretty.  And 
this  Mrs.  Simons  was  very  kind  to  you,  was  n't 
she,  Ezekiel?  Helped  you  in  a  good  many 
ways?" 

"Yas'm,  Mis'  Simons  cert'nly  's  r'al  kine. 
Keep  on  readin'  all  kine  o'  books,  too.  Yas'm. 
'N'  Mis'  Simons  she  'mence  learnin'  me  'ow  ter 
read,  too." 

"That  was  very  good  of  her,  was  n't  it?" 

"Yas'm,  she  tole  de  Cap'm  she  reckon  she  's 
'blige  teach  me  a  liT  herself.  Say: 

" '  Cert'nly  is  tur'ble,  Naid,  de  way  he  's  been 
neglected.' 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  47 

"  'N'  Cap'm  kine  o'  laf  at  'er  'n'  say  she  am' 
spec'  fer  a  li'l'  nigger  boy  ter  know  ve'y  much, 
is  she?  'N'  I  ain'  liken  ter  be  call  no  li'P  nigger 
boy,  nurrer.  No'm,  I  ain't." 

"The  captain  wasn't  so  thoughtful,  perhaps," 
suggested  Miss  Jane. 

"No'm.  Say  she  ain'  spec'  fer  a  li'P  nigger 
boy  ter  know  ve'y  much,  is  she  ?  But  Mis'  Simons 
ain'  talk  dat-a-way.  No'm.  She  jes'  kine  o' 
laf  'n'  pat  me  light  like  on  de  cheek,  'n'  say  she 
reckon  fum  all  she  hyeah  I  Jse  gotten  a  right  to 
a  edjercation,  now-days,  too.  But  I  reckon  she 
wouldn'  nuver  a  'mence  learnin'  me  nurrer,  lessen 
it  been  fer  de  li'P  brook  'nine  de  house." 

"The  little  brook  behind  the  house?" 

"  Yas'm,  'n'  't  wuz  long  time  befo'  I  knowed  w'y 
Mis'  Simons  ack  ser  strange  'bout  de  li'P  brook 
'nine  de  house." 

Miss  Jane  concluded  that  silence  on  her  part 
was  perhaps,  after  all,  the  surest  incentive  to 
continued  narrative. 

"  Yer  see  de  trouble  all  start  out  dis-a-way,  Miss 
Jane.  Ve'y  fus'  mawnin'  I  'se  dere,  Mis'  Simons 
she  say: 

"'  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  'de  yaller  lily  baid  'hine  de 
house  cert'nly  needs  weedin','  she  say.  "N'  I  'd 


48  EZEKIEL 

like  fer  you  ter  go  right  out  dere  now  'n'  git  it  done 
jes'  's  quick  's  yer  kin,'  she  say. 

"I  say,  'yas'm,'  'n'  start  right  along  fer  de 
yaller  lily  baid  wid  a  liT  bastik  on  my  arm.  'N' 
fus'  I  set  right  down  siden  de  baid  'n'  begins 
a-pickin'  up  de  weeds  'n'  a-puttin'  'em  in  de  liT 
bastik.  But  co'se  it 's  a  r'al  pretty  evenin',  wid 
de  sun  a  kine  o'  slantin'  down  fum  over  yonder 
in  de  sky,  'n'  de  flowers  kine  o'  shinin'  back,  'n' 
blowin'  jes'  a  li'l  wid  de  breeze,  so  co'se  I  'mence 
ter  look  eroun'  li'l'  mo',  too. 

"  'N'  same  time,  seem  like  I  kin  hyeah  a  kine 
o'  liT  ripplin'  -  -  ripplin',  jes'  like  it 's  water 
drappin'  somewheres  on  de  stones. 

"  So  I  tukken  my  liT  bastik  on  my  arm,  'n' 
start  out  fru  de  paff  where  lead  'roun'  pas'  all 
de  udder  kine  o'  flowers,  'n'  de  trees,  jes'  keep  on, 
all  time  list'nin'  ter  de  liT  ripplin'  -  -  ripplin',  twell 
praesen'ly  I  come  right  out  siden  de  brook, 
a-flowin'  'long  on  de  stones,  'n'  de  san'  shinin'  up 
kine  o'  gol'en  underneaf. 

"  By  dat  time  it 's  gittin'  r'al  warm,  too.  'N'  I 
jes'  se'  down  fer  minit,  'n'  look  liT  mo'  at  de 
water,  twell  seem  like  it 's  gittin'  warmer  'n' 
warmer  —  twell  praesen'ly  I  'se  jes'  'blige  tek  off 
my  shoes  'n'  stockin's  'n'  step  right  off  in  de 


'  EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  49 

brook.  'T  ain'  ve'y  deep  where  I  stan',  so  I  'se 
jes'  a-steppin'  'roun'  dere  a-splashin'  sorf  'n'  easy 
'n'  a-lookin'  at  de  liT  fishes  where 's  flirtin' 
'roun'  dere  wid  dey  tails,  w'en  w'at  yer  s'pose? 
De  stranges'  thing!  I  hyeah  a  rustlin'  on  de 
bank  'n'  turn  right  'roun'. 

"'N'  dere  's  Mis'  Simons  a  stan'in'  dere  ez  w'ite 
'n'  still,  'n'  look  like  she  's  tryin'  ter  speak  'n' 
cyan't. 

""Zekiel,'  she  begin,  'n'  'er  voice  jes'  fade  right 
'way. 

"'N'  I  -- 1  'se  r'al  skeered  ter  see  Mis'  Simons 
ack  dat-a-way,  'n'  I  'se  jes'  studyin'  w'at  ter  do 
'bout  it,  w'en: 

""Zekiel!'  she  say  'gin,  'n'  den  it's  de  trufe, 
Miss  Jane,  she  jes'  fro  up  her  arms  like  she  ain' 
know  what  she  's  doin',  'n'  scream  out  high,  'nj 
start  off  a-holPin': 

"<Oh,  Naid!  De  brook!  De  brook!  De 
brook!' 

"W'y,  I  ain'  no  idea  'tall  w'at  do  nex'.  But  I 
jump  outen  dat  brook  fus'  thing,  'n'  den  I  'mem 
bers  'bout  de  yaller  lily  baid.  So  I  tukken  my  KT 
bastik  on  my  arm,  jes'  same  's  befo',  'n'  start  off 
agin  same  way  I  come.  'N'  yit  all  time  I  'se 
studyin'  'bout  Mis'  Simons.  A  studyin'  'n'  a 


SO  EZEKIEL 

studyin',  twell  I  hyeah  a  r'al  kine  o'  deep  voice 
right  'side  me.  'N'  I  jes'  jump  I  'se  ser  s'prise. 
Jes'  jump  'n'  look  'roun'.  'N'  dere  's  de  Cap'm 
stan'in'  dere  lookin'  mighty  stret  'n'  stiff,  'n' 
seem  like  'is  eyes  is  a  gwine  right  fru  me. 

'"  Jes'  see  hyeah,  boy,'  he  say,  'jes'  looker  me!* 
'"Yas  sir!'  I  say,  oh,  my!      I  'se  'fraid  o'  de 
Cap'm  dat  time!     'Yas  sir,'  I  say. 

"'  Jes'  looker  me!'  he  say  agin  wid  his  eyes  still 
a-gwine  fru  me,  '  is  yer  lookin'  ? ' 

" '  Yas  sir ! '  I  say  agin,  '  I  'se  a-lookin' ! ' 
"'Ve'y  well,'  he  say.     'Now  doan't  yer  ever 
lemme  hyeah  of  yer  gwine  near  dat  brook  over 
yonder  'gin,  long  's  yer  's  hyeah,'  he  say.    'Long 's 
yer  's  hyeah!'  he  say  agin. 

"'Yas  sir!'     I  answer  him,  'yas  sir!' 
"'You  's  been  de  cause  o'  sump'n  ve'y  se'ious/ 
he  say.     'Ve'y  se'ious!' 

"  'N'  he  jes'  turn  'roun'  'n'  walk  right  off  agin. 
"Co'se  I  s'pose  Mis'  Simons  mus'  be  daid  by 
dat  time,  way  he  spoke,  'n'  I  'se  feelin'  r'al  bad 
'bout  it,  too.  'N'  yit  I  ain'  know  zackly  w'at  ter 
do  'bout  it,  nurrer.  So  I  se'  down  siden  de 
yaller  lily  baid,  'n'  wait  twell  de  sun  'mence  ter 
drap  down  low  'hine  de  trees,  'n'  it  'mence  growin' 
dark  fas'  's  it  kin,  'n'  ser  still  all  I  kin  hyeah  is  jes' 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  51 

de  KT  brook  still  a  ripplin'  —  ripplin'.  'N'  it 
cert'nly  wuz  strange,  but  seem  like  af  it 's  r'al 
dark  'n'  I  'se  went  in  de  house,  I  kin  hyeah  it  jes' 
same. 

"Af  I  'se  went  ter  baid,  too.  Kine  o'  fa'  off,  'n' 
yit  ripplin'  -  -  'n'  a  drappin'  same  way  's  befo' 
on  de  stones." 

"But  Mrs.  Simons?"  inquired  Miss  Jane,  more 
interested  in  main  facts  than  poetic  fancies,  "was 
she  —  was  she  well  again  in  the  morning?" 

"Mis'  Simons?  W'y,  yas'm.  Nex'  mawnhV 
I  'se  wukkin'  along  on  de  yaller  lily  baid,  cert'nly 
wuz  tryin'  ter  git  it  done  dis  time,  too,  w'en  she 
come  'long  jes'  same  's  ever. 

" '  W'y,  'Zekiel ! '  she  say.  '  W'y,  'Zekiel ! '  'N' 
den  co'se  she  'mence  tellin'  me  I  mus'  hu'y  'long 
fas'er.  'N'  I  is,  too.  Jes'  keep  wukkin'  right 
'long  all  de  mawnin'.  'N'  I  ain'  spen'  no  time 
dawdlin'  'roun'  no  brook,  nurrer.  No'm,  not  no 
mo'  af  dat  —  not  no  mo'  fer  —  fer  —  long  time. 
'N'  I  reckon  't  ain'  nuver  'appen  den  ef  't  ain'  been 
fer  w'at  Mis'  Simons  done." 

"What  did  Mrs  Simons  do?" 

"W'at  Mis'  Simons  done  'bout  de  brook." 

"But  what  was  it,  Ezekiel?" 

"Well,  yer  see  it  'appen  jes  dis-a-way.     One 


52  EZEKIEL 

mawnin'  I  wek  up  r'al  nice  'n'  early,  ser  early  I 
cyan'  see  ve'y  good  cuz  de  light 's  kine  o'  triflin' 
wid  de  dark,  'n'  de  birds  wuz  all  a-singin'  way  dey 
does  fus'  thing  in  de  mawnin',  'n'  I  'se  jes'  natchelly 
fixin'  ter  go  'sleep  'gin,  w'en  I  reckon  I  hyeah 
some'n'  callin'  me.  Sho'  'miff: 

""Zekiel!'  some'n'  call  agin,  <yer  's  wanted!' 

"Well,  fus'  I  reckon  p'raps  I  '11  jes'  tek  it  fer  a 
dream.  But  den  yer  see,  I  ain'  no  mo'n  'cide  dat 
w'en  I  hyeah  de  Cap'm's  voice  down  below  dere, 
too.  So  I  reckon  p'raps  I  better  not  tek  it  fer 
no  dream,  nurrer.  So  I  jes'  hop  outen  de  baid  'n' 
put  on  my  clo'es  'n'  start  off  down  styairs  ser  quick 
I  'se  kine  o'  s'prise  I  been  ser  quick  myself. 

"Well,  jes'  soon's  I  come  in  de  kitchen,  I  seen 
Sarah  'n'  Marg'ret  stan'in'  by  de  do,'  'n'  a  kine 
o'  talkin'  low  like  tergerrer. 

"'Cap'm  foun'  'er  out  dere  dis  mawnin','  Sarah 
say.  'N'  fus'  thing,  I  jes'  seem  ter  know  she's 
talkin'  'bout  Mis'  Simons.  '  Jes'  a  li'P  w'ile  ago,' 
she  say.  'He  foun'  'er  dere  a-lookin'  in  de 
brook.' 

"But  same  time  she  spoke,  de  Cap'm  come 
walkin'  right  in  de  room.  Say: 

""Zekiel,'  he  say,  'I  want  yer  fer  minit.'  'N' 
walk  out  agin  'n'  I  af  'im. 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  53 

"'Hem,  'Zekiel,'  he  say,  stopping  on  de  poach, 
'I  want  yer  ter  pick  all  de  blackbe'ies  yer  kin  fine 
on  de  bushes  fer  breakfus','  he  say.  'Hem, 
'Zekiel,'  he  call,  jcs'  ez  I  start  'long,  'yer  'members 
de  day  yer  fus'  come,'  he  say,  "n'  'bout  yer  gwine 
over  yonder  'n'  paddlin'  in  de  brook  ?' 

"'Yas  sir,'  I  say,  'yas  sir,  I  'members  'bout  it.' 

"'Hem,  yes.  Well,  yer  ain'  foun'  nuthin'  in 
de  brook  dat-er-time,  is  yer?' 

"I  'clare  I  ain'  know  w'at  de  Cap'm's  talkin' 
'bout,  'n'  yit  't  ain'  r'ally  no  call  ter  ax  nurrer,  so: 

"'No,  sir,'  I  say,  'I  ain'  foun'  nuthin'  in  de 
brook,'  I  say. 

"Well,  Cap'm,  seem  like  he  look  dis'pointed, 
'n'  yit  co'se  he  perten'  he  ain't,'  n'  tole  me  dat's 
all,  I  kin  go  'long  'n'  pick  de  blackbe'ies,  now. 

"  But  I  'clare  I  cyan'  seem  ter  think  o'  nary  thing 
'cep'n'  Mis'  Simons  'n'  de  liT  ole  brook  'hine  de 
house.  'N'  it 's  jes'  same  way  all  de  mawnin'. 
De  mo'  I  tries  ter  put  my  mine  on  my  wuk,  de 
mo'  I  seem  ter  keep  on  a-thinkin'.  Ef  't  ain'  been 
fer  dat,  I  s'pose  't  would  n'  nuver  a  come  out  way 
it  did.  But  praesen'ly,  yer  see,  I  foun'  myself 
walkin'  'long  same  way  I  'se  thinkin'  'bout. 
Yas'm,  I  did,  'n'  nex'  I  know  I  'se  stan'in'  dere 
same  place  I  is  fus'  day  I  come,  right  siden  de 


54  EZEKIEL 

brook.  But  dis  time  de  sun's  clair  up  high 
in  de  sky  V  shinin'  right  stret  down  in  de 
water  twell  I  kin  see  eb'ry  li'P  stone  bright  'n' 
clair,  shinin'  up. 

"'N'  co'se  all  time  I  'se  thinkin',  too,  'bout  w'at 
de  Cap'm  ax  me.  But  same  time  it 's  a  r'al  pretty 
day,  'n'  HT  brook's  a  ripplin'  on  jes'  nice  's  ever, 
V  sparklin'  -  -  'n'  praesen'ly  I  natchelly  kine  o' 
fergit  'bout  de  Cap'm,  'n'  fer  liT  change  jes'  begins 
a-tekkin'  off  my  shoes  'n'  stockin's.  Well,  I  ain' 
no  mo'n  gotten  'em  all  off  'n'  step  down  —  r'al  easy 
in  de  brook  -  -  'fo'  I  'members  w'at  de  Cap'm 
say  'bout  it.  'N'  same  time  I  hyeah  a  rustlin' 
on  de  bank. 

"Well,  it 's  de  trufe  I  'se  ser  skeered  I  ain'  dare 
look  'tall.  Cuz  yer  see  I  'se  mos'  sho'  it 's  de 
Cap'm.  Den  de  rustlin'  come  agin,  'n'  - 

""Zekiel!'  someone  say.  But  it  soun'  fa'  'way 
like  'n'  small,  'n'  I  turn  right  'roun'.  'N'  dere  's 
Mis'  Simons.  She  ain'  lookin'  at  me,  nurrer,  but 
right  straight  down  in  de  water  —  bendin'  low. 

""Zekiel!'  she  say  'gin,  'n'  'er  voice  soun'  quick 
'n'  diffunt.  "Zekiel !  Is  yer  see  dat  ? ' 

"'Er  face  's  all  w'ite  'n'  quare,  'n'  I  kin  see  'er 
finger  shekkin'  where  she  point.  'Sump'n'  where 
look  like  it  p'raps  might  be  de  —  de  han'  of  —  a 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  55 

HT  doll  — of  a  HT  —  sailor  dolir  she  say, 
'a-stickin'  outen  de  san'  ?  Is  yer  see  it,  'Zekiel?' 

"'Yas'm,'  I  say,  kine  o'  searchin'  eroun'  fer  de 
KT  ban'. 

"'  Right  nare  de  big  stone  —  dere!'  she  say. 
'Dere!  'Zekiel!'  she  say.  'N'  'er  voice  soun' 
ser  strange  't  ain'  nuthin'  like  Mis'  Simons  'tall. 
'Move  it!'  she  say.  'Move  de  stone!  'N'  be 
cyarf  ul ! ' 

"Co'se  by  dis  time  I  'se  movin'  de  stone,  'n' 
Mis'  Simons  look  like  she  's  watchin'  wid  her 
bref  all  in. 

" '  Oh,  be  cyarf  ul ! '  she  say  'gin,  kine  o'  w'isperin' 
'n'  nex'  minit  I  heP  up  a  KT  'ole  soaked  up, 
frazzled  out,  li'P  sailor-doll.  HeP  it  right  up 
befo'  'er. 

'"Oh,  we1  s  }oun'  iW  she  holler,  'we  's  jouri*  it!' 
'N'  jes'  drap  down  on  de  grass  a-fon'lin'  it,  'n' 
a-cryin',  'n'  a-talkin'  to  it  like,  'n'  a-cryin'  agin, 
like  she  cyan'  nuver  stop. 

"'Come  yere,  'Zekiel,'  she  say  praesen'ly, 
wid  'er  voice  sort  o'  broke  like,  'come  yere, 
'Zekiel,  I  wants  yer.' 

"I  slip  up  side  'er  sof  's  I  kin,  on  de  grass  'n' 
she  hoi'  de  li'P  doll  up  'n'  look  at  it  agin,  r'al  long 
'n'  still. 


56  EZEKIEL 

"'Is  yer  know  I  had  a  li'P  baby  once?'  she 
w'isper,  'n'  de  tears  wuz  still  a-runnin'  down  'er 
cheeks. 

"'No'm,'  I  whisper  back,  sof 's  I  kin,  not  ter 
trouble  'er. 

"'A  liT  boy,'  she  say,  "n'  he's  ve'y  lovely, 
'Zekiel,'  'n'  den  she  's  'blige  stop  —  jes'  stop  'n' 
sob  'n'  cry. 

"Cert'nly  made  me  feel  bad  ter  see  Mis'  Simons 
like  dat.  'N'  she  mos'  allays  been  ser  bright  'n' 
smilin'  befo'  too.  But  praesen'ly  she  dry  'er  eyes 
'n'  look  up  fum  de  liT  sailor  doll  twell  look  like 
she  's  mos'  tryin'  ter  smile. 

"'I  mus'n'  cry  like  dis,'  she  w'isper,  'n'  den  she 
'mence  agin  talkin'  low  'n'  calm  like. 

Ezekiel  looked  dreamily  away  across  the  Roads. 
Once  more  he  was  sitting  by  Mrs.  Simons  on  the 
grass.  Once  more  he  listened  to  her  as  he  had 
that  morning,  and  his  voice  came  now  in  low, 
gentle,  self-forgetfulness. 

"  'I  mus'n'  cry  like  dis,'  she  say.  '  'T  ain'  brave. 
But  he  los'  de  liT  sailor  doll,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  Me 
las'  mawnin'  we  played  tergedder  over  yonder  in 
de  gyarden.  He  los'  it  in  de  grass.  'N'  w'en  I 
went  in  de  house,'  she  say,  Her  git  Sarah  ter  come 
out  'n'  play  wid  him,  he  cried,'  she  say  —  'cuz 


EZEKIEL'S  MIS'  SIMONS  57 

he  'd  los'  his  sailor  doll.  ...  I  doan'  know 
w'y  I  went  fer  Sarah,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  'but  I  did, 
an'  seem  like  twan'  no  time  'tall  'fo'  she  come 
back  a-screamin' -  -  'bout  --  'bout  de  brook.' 

"Mis'  Simons'  bref  cotch  w'en  she  say  dat, 
'n'  she  shiver  like  she  's  cole. 

" '  Ef  I  'd  a  only  stop  'n'  foun'  'is  KT  doll  fer  'im 
w'en  he  cry!'  she  say.  "T  wuz  allays  ser  tur'ble 
to  me  to  think  I  did  n' !  Ser  tur'ble  to  me,  'Zekiel,' 
she  say. 

"'N'  dat 's  w'y  she  allays  keep  on  comm'  'n' 
lookin'  'n'  lookin',  thinkin'  p'raps  af  all  he  is 
foun'  it  'n'  tekken  it  wid  'im  ter  de  brook.  'N' 
she  did  n'  want  de  Cap'm  ter  know  she  come,  cuz 
he  'd  think  she  's  broodin',  'n'  be  trouble  'bout  it. 

"'But  I  'se  glad  —  oh,  I  is  glad  I  comer  she 
w'isper  praesen'ly,  'oh,  'Zekiel!'  she  say,  'doan't 
yer  see!'  'N'  she  ben'  'er  haid  'way  down,  wid 
'er  tears  a-drappin'  right  on  de  KT  sailor  doll, 
'cuz  yer  see  he  did  fine  it  'Zekiel!'  she  say,  'oh, 
'Zekiel,  he  —  he  foun'  it,'  she  say,  stumblin'  like, 
'  I  -  -  I  cyan'  tell  yer  —  but  it  means  —  right  much 
ter  me — ter  know  he  foun'  it ! '  : 

Miss  Jane  wiped  her  eyes  softly  and  Ezekiel  still 
looked  dreamily  away  to  the  Roads.  .  .  . 


58  EZEKIEL 

"  And  how  did  Mrs.  Simons  seem  —  after  that, 
Ezekiel?"  she  inquired  gently.  "Did  she  go  on 
again  just  as  —  bravely  as  she  had  before?" 

"  Yas'm,  Mis'  Simons  went  on  jes'  same  af  dat. 
Jes'  same  's  ever.  'N'  nex'  time  I  seen  'er,  she 
smile  ser  nice  'n'  bright,  I  would  n'  nuver  a  'blieve 
could  be  so  -  -  'bout  de  liT  boy,  lessen  I  'se  seen 
'er  w'en  she  cry." 

Miss  Jane's  voice  was  still  strangely  gentle. 

"H  —  m.  .  .  .  She  was  very  brave.  And 
perhaps  it  was  a  relief,  too,  to  have  told  someone 
-about  it." 

"  Yas'm.  'N'  she  seem  ter  watch  me  r'al  often 
af  dat,  sometime  like  she  's  thinkin'  'bout  sump'n' 
fa'  'way  -  -  'n'  talk  ter  me,  'n'  'mence  learnin'  me 
'ow  ter  read,  too.  Yas'm.  Dat 's  jes'  w'en  she 
'mence  learnin'  me  'ow  ter  read." 

"Did  —  she  ever  speak  of  the  little  boy  again ?" 

"No'm,  she  ain'  nuver  speak  'bout  'im  'gin. 
'N'  I  reckon  't  ain'  nobody  nuver  know  w'at  she 
tole  me,  nurrer,  cuz  de  las'  words  she  say  ez  she 
start  'way  fum  de  brook  dat  mawnin'  wuz: 

"  l  'Zekiel,  doan'  tell  de  Cap'm  I  'se  been  cryin'. 
'T  would  wo'y  him  ser  much,'  she  say. 

"And  you  didn't  tell  him?" 

" No'm,  I  ain'  tole  'im," 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS 


HE    STARTS    RIGHT    OFF    GITTIN'    TRIFLIN'    JN'    BAD 


IV 


" A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS" 


BOTH  Miss  North  and  Ezekiel  were  at  school 
early.  Miss  North  apparently  considered 
it  an  opportunity  of  advantage. 

"Come  here,  Ezekiel,"  she  began,  looking 
up  from  her  desk.  Ezekiel  approached. 

"Now,  I  want  you  to  put  your  mind  on  this, 
Ezekiel,"  she  went  on,  taking  the  bull  by  the 
horns,  "and  see  if  you  can  tell  me  why  it  is  that 
you  have  been  doing  so  badly  in  your  work  for 
the  last  few  days.  Of  course,  you  must  know 
that  you  have  been  doing  very  badly,  don't  you?" 

Ezekiel  looked  rather  grieved  at  hearing  the 
matter  put  so  plainly,  but  did  not  offer  an  imme 
diate  explanation. 

"Well,  now,  I  suppose  there  must  be  some 
reason  for  this,"  went  on  Miss  North  logically, 
"because  don't  you  know  how  very  well  you 
have  been  doing  —  until  just  lately  ?  Why,  of 
course  there  must  be  some  reason  for  it?" 

61 


62  EZEKIEL 

"Yas'm,  mus'  be  so,"  agreed  Ezekiel  faintly. 

"Yes,  of  course.     Now,  what  is  it?" 

"/  dunno'm,"  returned  Ezekiel,  as  if  he  were 
really  the  very  last  one  who  should  be  expected 
to  know. 

"Well,    you    must    find    out,    Ezekiel,"    an 
nounced  Miss  North  concisely,  "and  you  must 
begin  to  do  very  much  better  again." 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,  apparently  per 
fectly  willing  to  investigate,  and  perfectly  willing 
to  improve,  too,  if  it  were  really  necessary. 

"Yas'm.  One  time  I 'se  a-wukkin'  fer  Mis' 
Simons  in  de  gyarden,  V  she  come  along,  talk 
jes'  dat-a-way,  too.  Say: 

"'W'y,  'Zek'el,  yer  mus'  do  ve'y  much  better  'n 
dis.  Is  I  'blige  set  righ'  down  yere  'n'  watch 
yer?'  she  say.  'N'  I  say,  'No'm.'  'N'  she  say, 
'  Well,  certainly  look  like  she  is.'  So  she  se'  down, 
'n'  fus'  yer  know,  she  's  a-readin'  outen  a  book 
'n'  ain'  payin'  no  mo'  'tention  ter  me  'n  's  ef  I 
ain'  dere  't  all." 

"Yes;  that  hasn't  really  very  much  to  do 
with  this,  but  still  I  can  imagine,  too,  that  it 
might  have  been  so." 

"Yas'm;  'n'  praesen'ly,  after  she's  been 
a-readin'  quite  a  HT  while,  she  gotten  up  ag'in 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS"          63 

'n'  walk  off,  'n'  say  dat  cert'nly  's  de  mos'  no- 
' count  book  where  's  been  written  fer  some  time; 
she  reckon  she  could  'a'  done  better  'erself." 

"I  don't  doubt  it,"  murmured  Miss  North  - 
"not  for  a  moment.     Well,  Ezekiel,  I  shall  expect 
to  notice  a  great  improvement  in  you  to-day." 

"Yas'm.  Say  she  reckon  she  could  'a'  done 
better  'erself.  Is  yer  ever  written  a  book,  Miss 
No'th?" 

"No,  I  never  have,"  admitted  Miss  North. 

"Cuz  I  'se  writin'  a  book  now,"  he  went  on 
meditatively. 

"Are  you?"  Miss  North  felt  painfully  in 
ferior.  "What  is  your  book  about,  Ezekiel?" 

"  'Bout  —  'bout  chillen  —  'n'  mothers,"  ex 
plained  Ezekiel  modestly.  "Is  yer  say  yer 
ain'  nuver  written  a  book  yit,  Miss  No'th?" 

"Never,"  reiterated  Miss  North,  bound  to  be 
truthful  to  the  bitter  end. 

"  Cuz  I  doan'  guess  Miss'  Simons  nuver  written 
a  book,  nurrer,"  he  went  on  ruminatingly  but  con 
solingly.  "No'm,  I  doan'  guess  she  nuver  did." 

"I  don't  believe  she  ever  did,  either,"  returned 
Miss  North,  taking  hope.  "But,  now,  this  book 
of  yours,  Ezekiel  —  you  say  it  is  about  children 
and " 


64  EZEKIEL 

"'Bout  chillen  'n' -- mothers,"  explained  Eze- 
kiel  again;  "but  mo'  specially  'bout  mothers." 

"I  see.     Don't  you  find  it  rather  a  large  sub 
ject  ?     That    is  —  don't    you    find    it    rather  - 
rather    hard     to     write     about     children     and 
mothers?" 

"Yas'm,  kine  o'  hard;  specially  'bout  mothers." 

"Yes,  I  should  think  so,"  agreed  Miss  North. 
"  Perhaps  you  will  let  me  see  your  book  sometime. 
Do  you  think  you  could?" 

"Yas'm.  Yer  kin  see  it  now,  ef  yer  wants 
ter.  Yas'm,  yer  kin  see  it  right  now,  Miss 
No'th." 

"No,  it  is  time  for  the  bell  now.  But  some 
time,  sometime  I  should  like  very  much  to  see 
it.  Take  your  seat  now,  Ezekiel." 

And  the  children,  in  a  long,  winding  file,  had 
marched  in. 

But  it  was  not  until  the  morning  was  almost 
gone,  and  the  immaculate  specimen  copy  for 
the  daily  writing  lesson  was  being  painstakingly 
reproduced  on  long,  straight  lines,  that  the  first 
complaint  of  the  day  was  made. 

"Ole  'Zek'el  Jerden,  he  ain'  doin'  no  writin' 
lesson,"  came  the  voice  of  righteous  indignation; 
"he's  writin'  sump'n'  else." 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS "          65 

To  be  sure.     Ezekiel  was  writing  in  his  book. 

"Ezekiel,"  began  Miss  North  in  suggestive 
tones,  "do  you  remember  what  I  told  you  this 
morning?" 

"Yas'm"  -  Ezekiel' s  book  disappeared  in 
side  his  desk  —  "yas'm,  I 'se  gwine  do  my 
writin',  Miss  No'th." 

But  it  was  the  afternoon  that  was  almost  gone 
when  the  next  complaint  came  in.  Again  they 
were  reproducing  neat  little  paragraphs  from 
the  blackboard,  and  again  there  came  an  indig 
nant  voice: 

"'Zek'el  Jerden  ain'  copyin'  no  home-wuk 
'tall!" 

Certainly  not.    Ezekiel  was  writing  in  his  book. 

" Ezekiel"  -Miss  North's  voice  sounded  un 
compromising —  "you  may  bring  that  book  to 
my  desk." 

Ezekiel  rather  sheepishly  made  his  way  to  the 
desk  and  deposited  a  magnificent  checkered- 
backed  note-book. 

"Now  you  may  copy  your  home-work.  I 
begin  to  see  why  you  have  fallen  back  in  your 
work,  Ezekiel." 

But  the  children,  in  a  long,  winding  file,  had 
marched  out  again,  and  again  Ezekiel  stood 


66  EZEKIEL 

before  Miss  North's  desk.  Across  the  front  row 
sat  three  small  and  meek-looking  individuals, 
whose  glances  back  and  forth  among  themselves 
and  up  toward  Miss  North  alternated  between 
broad  but  surreptitious  grins  and  modest,  long- 
suffering  looks  of  resignation. 

"I  should  like  you  very  straight  and  quiet  in 
the  front  row,  please,"  suggested  Miss  North. 

Their  general  appearance,  at  this  point,  was 
so  altogether  nice  and  irreproachable  that  it 
really  seemed  rather  indelicate  of  Miss  North 
to  have  referred  to  it  at  all. 

"And  now,  Ezekiel,  as  I  said  before,  I  begin 
to  see  why  you  have  fallen  back  in  your  work." 

"Yas'm,"  responded  Ezekiel,  evidently  quite 
clear  on  the  matter,  too. 

"Now,  my  suggestion  is  that  you  finish  this 
book  up  just  as  soon  as  possible,  and  then  per 
haps  you  will  be  able  to  turn  your  attention  to 
your  school  work  again." 

"  Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,  absolutely  agreeable. 

"Well,  now,  how  nearly  done  is  the  book? 
Do  you  think  you  could  finish  it  to-night?" 

"'Bout -- 'bout  half  done,  I  reckon;  yas'm, 
I  could  finish  it  ter-night." 

Miss  North   picked  up  the   checkered-backed 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS"          67 

note- book  and  glanced  over  three  or  four  pains 
takingly  written  pages. 

"It  isn't  going  to  be  a  very  long  book,  is  it? 
Perhaps  that  is  just  as  well,  too.  Well,  suppose 
you  read  it  to  me  as  far  as  you  have  gone." 

"Yas'm,"  and  Ezekiel  obligingly  took  the 
book  and  began  to  read. 

"'A  Book  For  Mothers/"  he  announced. 

"That  is  the  title,  I  suppose,"  suggested  Miss 
North  intelligently.  "But  I  thought  it  was 
going  to  be  both  for  mothers  and  children?" 

"No'm;  'bout  mothers  V  chillen,  but  specially 
for  mothers." 

"Oh,  yes,  of  course.  Now  go  on,  Ezekiel, 
and  I  won't  interrupt." 

The  three  across  the  front  row  looked  quite 
impressed  at  the  turn  events  had  taken,  and 
Ezekiel  began  again.  According  to  oral  inter 
pretation,  his  written  manuscript  might  have 
been  about  like  this: 

"<A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS 

"'Eve'y  mother  where  has  sense  should  read 
dis  book.  Co'se,  ef  she  ain'  got  no  sense,  I 
s'pose  it  ain'  gwine  do  no  good  anyway,  but  ef 
she  has,  w'y,  read  it.'" 


68  EZEKIEL 

This  stipulation  being  made  in  regard  to  the 
readers  of  the  book,  Ezekiel  glanced  at  Miss 
North  (who,  being  taken  a  bit  unawares,  made 
haste  to  compose  her  countenance)  and  continued : 

"'Eve'y  chile,  at  de  age  o'  twelve  years  ole, 
co'se  begins  gittin'  triflin'  'n'  bad,  'n'  runs  out 
on  de  street  at  night,  'n'  down  ter  Jones's  corner, 
'n'  sometime  look  like  his  mother  cyan'  do 
scacely  nothin'  wid  'em  'tall  —  at  de  age  o' 
twelve  years  ole." 

"Is  it  always  exactly  at  twelve?"  put  in  Miss 
North  modestly. 

"Yas'm.  'So  at  de  age  o'  twelve  years  ole 
eve'y  mother  mus'  learn  'er  chillen  'tain'  right 
ter  ac'  no  sech  a  way.  'N'  ef  she  cyan'  learn 
'em,  she  mus'  whup  'em,  'n'  ef  dat  ain'  no  use, 
she  must  mek  'em  go  hongry  'mos'  all  time,  'n' 
whup  'em  ag'in,  'n'  ef  dat  ain'  no  use,  w'y,  she 
mus'  read  'em  de  Bible  'n'  see  'ow  dat  '11  wuk. 

"  '  My  country,  'tis  of  thee, 

Sweet  land  o'  liberty, 

O'  thee  I  sing!'" 

From  all  appearances  Miss  North  had  again 
been  taken  unawares. 

"What?  What  was  that?  What  did  you 
say,  Ezekiel?" 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS"          69 

"I  jes'  put  in  a  KT  pote-ry,"  explained  Ezekiel, 
"jes'  a  KT  verse  o'  pote-ry  to  make  it  go  'long 
r'al  smooth  'n'  soun'  kine  o'  easy." 

"Oh!     Go  on,  Ezekiel!" 

"Yas'm.  '  Cuz,  co'se,  tain'  right  fer  chillen 
ter  go  runnin'  out  at  night  'thout  their  mother. 
So,  ef  de  Bible  ain'  no  use,  w'y,  she  mus'  jes'  go 
runnin'  right  'long,  too." 

There  was  an  audible  snicker  from  one  of  the 
three  in  the  front  row  —  whether  from 
mere  nervous  emotion  at  this  forecast  of  a  few 
of  the  scenes  which  were  doubtless  in  store  for 
him  at  the  age  of  twelve,  or  from  real  joy,  was 
not  at  the  moment  apparent. 

"'Once,  'twas  a  liT  boy,'"  went  on  Ezekiel, 
""n'  he's  a  r'al  good  liT  boy,  too,  'n'  allays 
went  ter  Sunday-school  'n'  mine  'is  mama,  'n' 
ain'  nuver  run  down  ter  Jones's  corner  'cep'n' 
w'en  she  sen'  'im  wid  de  'lasses-bucket,  'n' 
allays  jes'  ez  good !  Twell  nex'  he  know  he  's 
twelve  years  ole.  'N'  den,  co'se,  he  starts  right 
off  gittin'  trifling  'n'  bad. 

"'Well,  ef  'is  mama  had  did  like  she  oughter, 
'n'  whup  'im,  'n'  read  'im  de  Bible,  'n'  run  out 
after  'im  on  de  street,  o'  co'se  'twould'  nuver 
'a'  come  out  way  it  did.  But  she  ain'  do  no 


70  EZEKIEL 

sech  a  thing.  She  jes'  say  ef  he  ac'  dat-a-way, 
w'y,  she  am'  gwine  bother  wid  him  'tall.  So,  w'at 
yer  s'pose  'appen  ter  de  liT  boy?  Well,  one  night 
'bout  twelve  o'clock  he  wek  up  —  yas,  'twuz  jes' 
ez  de  clock 's  a-strikin',  (twelve,  apparently, 
was  the  fatal  number),  'n'  fus'  he  jes'  lay  dere 
studyin'  'bout  what  he  '11  do  nex'.  'N'  den  he 
'cide  it 's  gittin'  kine  o'  wea'ysome  layin'  dere  ser 
long  'thout  sayin'  nary  word  ter  nobody,  so  he  got 
outen  de  baid  'n'  start  right  out  on  de  street. 

"°N'  fus'  thing  he  seen  a-comin'  down  de 
road  wuz  a  liT  gyurl  a-trundlin'  'long  a  baby- 
ca'iage  wid  a  li'l'  baby  a-settin'  right  up  on  de 
seat  a-chewin'  on  a  clo'es-pin." 

"  Twelve  o'clock  at  night,  did  you  say  it  was, 
Ezekiel?" 

"Yas'm,  jes'  'zackly  twelve  o'clock.  "N' 
some'ow  it  seem  ter  mek  de  li'l  boy  kine  o'  mad 
w'en  he  seen  de  baby  a-settin'  up  on  de  seat, 
a-chewin'  on  de  clo'es-pin,  so  w'at  yer  s'pose  he 
done?  W'y,  he  jes'  hop  right  up  in  de  ca'iage  'n' 
set  right  plumb  down  top  o'  de  baby,  'n'  mash  'im 
ser  flat  dat  praesen'ly  w'en  he  jump  out  on  de 
groun'  'n'  look  in  de  ca'iage  ag'in,  w'y,  'tain' 
nothin'  lef  o'  de  baby  'tall,  'cep'n  a  kine  o'  HT 
flat  cake  like,  not  no  bigger  'n  dis!" 


11  P'LICE   SAY,  '  wuz  YOU  DE  CAUSE  o'  DIS   DISFIGGER- 

MENT,    BOY? 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS "  71 

At  this  point  Ezekiel  was  obliged  to  stop  and 
point  out  to  Miss  North  his  sketch  of  the  baby's 
remains. 

"'Well,  w'en  de  li'l'  gyurl  come  roun'  'n' 
look  in  de  ca'aige  like  she  's  gwine  set  'er  baby 
up  r'al  nice  ag'in,  'n'  ain'  foun'  nothin'  'cep'n' 
de  HT  flat  cake,  w'y,  den  co'se  she  's  mad. 

"'"Now,  ain't  yer  'shame  ter  do  'im  like  dat!" 
she  say.  "Well,  I  'se  gwine  call  de  p'lice  'n' 
show  'im  jes'  w'at  yer  done!" 

"'So  she  call  de  p'lice,  'n'  de  p'lice  come  'n' 
look  in  de  ca'aige. 

'""Sho!  Now,  ain'  dat  too  bad!"  p'lice  say. 
"Wuz  you  de  cause  o'  dis  disfiggerment,  boy? 
Well,  suh!  I  'se  gwine  'rest  yer  fer  'sault  'n' 
battery!" 

"'So  de  li'l'  boy  's  'rested  fer  'sault  'n'  battery, 
'n  's  'blige  go  ter  jail  'n'  stay  dere  all  de  res' 
of  his  life. 

"'De  rose  is  red,  de  vi'let's  blue, 
De  honey  is  sweet,  'n'  so  are  you, 

Li'l'  gyurl  where  sets  on  de  seat  in  de  corner, 
Three  cheers  fer  de  red,  white,  'n'  blue!'" 

This  delightful  mingling  of  sentiment  and 
patriotism  was  evidently  merely  thrown  in  to 
relieve  the  stress  and  tension  of  the  moment. 


72  EZEKIEL 

At  any  rate,  the  three  little  boys  in  the  front 
row  drew  a  short  breath  of  relief  at  the  tempo 
rary  stay  in  proceedings,  and  Ezekiel  continued: 

"'Well,  de  nex'  time  de  li'P  boy  went  out  on 
de  street  at  night,  w'at  yer  s'pose  he  done? 
W'y,  he  jes'  bus'  right  into  a  lady's  house  'n' 
stole  all  her  jew'lry.  So  de  lady  went  climbin' 
out  de  winder  af  'im,  'n'  cotch  'im  by  de  coat, 
'n'  call  de  p'lice,  'n'  he  's  'rested  ag'in,  'n'  dat 
time  dey  had  'im  shot  fer  a  burglar. 

"'But  he  keep  on  jes'  ez  triflin'  'n'  bad's 
ever,  'n'  nex'  time  he  met  a  ole  gen'leman,  'n' 
'mence  ter  wrastle  wid  'im  right  on  de  street. 

"'"  Well,  w'at  yer  doin'  ? "  ole  man  say.  "  Well, 
I  reckon  I  'se  'blige  call  my  li'P  dawg!"  So  ole 
man  call  'is  li'P  dawg,  'n'  de  li'P  boy  run  right 
up  a  tree,  'n'  de  li'P  dawg  after  'im.  But  soon  's 
dey  's  up  de  tree,  w'y  de  li'P  boy  se'  down  on  one 
branch,  'n'  de  li'P  dawg  se'  down  on  anurrer 
branch,  'n'  so  dey  jes'  set  dere  a-blinkin'  at  de 
dark. 

"'"Well,  w'at  you-all  a-settin'  up  dere  like 
dat  fer?"  ole  man  say.  "Come  down!" 

"'But  dey  set  dere  jes'  same,  a-blinkin'  at 
de  dark. 

'"'N'  ole  man  holler  ag'in,  'n'  de  moon  come 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS"  73 

a-risin'  up  in  de  sky,  'n'  den  dey  jes'  set  dere  a- 
blinkin'  at  de  moon. 

"'"Well,  I 'se  gwine  climb  up  'n'  git  yer, 
den,"  ole  man  say,  'n'  he  'mence  ter  climb  de 
tree.  But  de  win'  'mence  ter  blow,  'n'  de  tree 
'mence  ter  rock,  'n'  higher  up  ole  man  got  de 
mo'  de  win'  keep  on  bio  win',  'n'  de  tree  a-rockin' 
back  'n'  fofe,  back  'n'  fofe,  'n'  de  li'P  boy  'n'  de 
li'P  dawg  still  a-settin'  on  de  branch  a-blinkin' 
at  de  moon. 

"'"Come  down!"  ole  man  say.  'N'  same 
time  he  spoken  de  words  de  'win'  jes'  blew  'im 
right  outen  de  tree  'n'  he  tum'le  down  on  de 
groun'  daid! 

"'"See  w'at  yer  done!"  li'P  dawg  say.  'N' 
same  time  he  spoken  .de  words,  ole  win'  jes' 
blew  'im  right  outen  de  tree  an'  he  tum'le  down 
daid  on  de  groun',  too. 

"'But  de  li'P  boy  jes'  keep  on  a-settin'  on  de 
branch  a-blinkin'  at  de  moon. 

'"'N'  w'en  de  p'lice  come  'long  'n'  foun'  'em 
all  daid  'cep'n'  de  li'P  boy  where  's  settin'  on  de 
branch,  w'y,  dey  'rest  'im  'n'  ca'ied  'im  off  ter 
jail,  'n'  dat  time  dey  had  'is  haid  chop  off  fer  a 
murd'rer. 

'"'N'  nex'  time,  he  met  a  ole  lady;  'n'  ole 


74  EZEKIEL 

lady  'mence  ter  scole  'im  right  smart  fer  bein' 
out  ser  late  in  de  night,  so  w'at  yer  s'pose  he 
done? 

'W'y  is  a  elephunt  like  a  brick?' 

("I'se  'fraid  it's  gittin'  kine  o'  wea'ysome 
'long  yere,  so  I  jes'  put  in  a  liT  riddle.) 

"'W'y  is  a  elephunt  like  a  brick? 

"'Cuz  cyan't  neider  one  of  'em  climb  a  tree. 

""N'  she  'mence  ter  scole  'im  right  smart 
fer  bein'  out  ser  late  in  de  night,  so  w'at  yer 
s'pose  he  done?' 

"I  thought  o'   sump'n'  else,  too! 

"W'y  is  a  elephunt  like  a  pertater? 

"Cuz  cyan'  neider  one   of  'em  climb  a  tree!" 

"H'm  yes!  I  see!  I  see!  I  see!  But  what 
did  he  do,  Ezekiel?"  interrupted  Miss  North,  in 
some  alarm  at  this  new  field  which  was  opening 
up  with  such  a  wealth  of  possibility. 

"W'y  is  a  elephunt  like  a  bag  o'  salt? 

"W'y,  cuz  cyan'  neider  one  of  'em  climb  a 
tree! 

"I'se  mekkin'  'em  up  myself,  Miss  No'th, 
?n'  it 's  jes'  ez  easy! 

"W'y  is  a  elephunt-    -" 

"/  see!  But  wait  —  Ezekiel!  Now  —  tell  me 
what  he  did!" 


WELL,    I'SE   GWINE   CLIMB   UP   V   GIT   YER,    DEN,' 
OLE   MAN   SAY" 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS "  75 

"Well  —  well,  yer  see,  I  ain'  'zackly  'tide 
w'at  he  is  done,  cuz  dat  's  jes'  ez  fur  's  I'se 
went  we'n  I  'mence  'bout  de  elephunts. 

"W'y  is  a  elephunt - 

"Yes!  Yes,  indeed!  Certainly!  And  yet, 
that  does  n't  seem  to  be  a  very  good  place  to 
leave  it,  either!" 

"No'm;  'tain'  no  place  ter  leave  it." 

"So  what  did  he  do  to  the  old  lady?  Would  n't 
it  be  nice  to  have  him  do  something  very  kind, 
just  for  a  little  change?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,  picking  up  connec 
tions  again. 

"'N'  de  ole  lady  'mence  ter  scole  'im  right 
smart  fer  bein'  out  ser  late  in  de  night,  so  w'at 
yer  s'pose  he  done?  W'y,  he  give  'er  a  nice 
li'l'  bag  o'  cough-drops." 

"That  was  kind,  I  am  sure."  Miss  North 
thought  she  saw  the  end  in  view.  "Now,  how 
are  you  going  to  finish  it?" 

"'N'  den  he  went  home  V  drown  'isself  in 
de  well." 

Ezekiel  paused,  evidently  considering  his 
labours  practically  over. 

"That  was  a  little  sudden,  wasn't  it?"  sug 
gested  Miss  North,  "just  a  little  sudden?" 


76  EZEKIEL 

"Yas  'm,  but  dat  ain'  quite  de  en',  nudder. 
De  en'  is  'bout  mothers.  Like  dis: 

"'N'  so  eve'y  mother  mus'  watch  out  right 
smart.  Cuz,  co'se,  de  same  thing  might  'appen 
ter  any  HT  boy.  'N'  dat 's  w'y  dey  mus'  learn 
'em  ter  do  right,  'n'  read  'em  de  Bible,  'n'  run 
down  ter  Jones's  corner  after  'em.  Cuz  dey  '11 
git  inter  right  smart  o'  trouble  ef  dey  doan't. 
'N'  'specially  'bout  de  age  o'  twelve  years  ole." 

"  And  so  that  is  the  end?  Well,  supposing 
you  sit  down,  Ezekiel,  and  finish  it." 

The  three  little  boys  had  gone,  feeling 
that  they  had  had  a  rather  strenuous  and  im 
pressive  half-hour,  and  Ezekiel  turned  in  the 
doorway  and  looked  back  again  at  Miss  North. 

"Show  your  book  to  Miss  Jane,  Ezekiel,  if 
you  see  her.  I  think  —  perhaps  she  would  like 
it.  Good  night." 

"  'Night,  Mis'  No'th." 

The  next  morning  Miss  North  was  at  school 
early  again.  So  also  was  Ezekiel. 

For  some  minutes  she  worked  quietly  at  her 
desk,  and  he  sat  in  his  seat,  while  his  eyes  wan 
dered  dreamily  around  the  room.  Then  she 


"A  BOOK  FOR  MOTHERS "          77 

pushed  a  pile  of  papers  into  her  desk  drawer 
and  looked  up. 

"Did  you  read  your  book  to  Miss  Jane  last 
night,  Ezekiel?" 

"Yas'm." 

"And  how  did  she  like  it?  What  did  she  say 
about  it?" 

"Say  it  doan'  soun'  like  r'al  sense,  'n'  say 
she  reckon  I  'se  wastin'  my  time.  Say  she  reckon 
I  better  frow  it  'way  'n'  jes'  put  my  mine  on  my 
books." 

"Throw  it  away?" 

"Yas'm.  But  I  ain'  frow  it  'way,"  he  went 
on  cheerfully  —  "no'm;  I  jes'  burn  it  up." 

"What?     What  did  you  say,  Ezekiel?" 

"I  ain'  frow  it  'way  —  no'm;  I  jes'  burn  it 
up." 

"Burned  it  up!"  Miss  North  found  herself 
feebly  recalling  the  fate  of  the  "French  Revo 
lution."  "Burned  it  up!  Why  —  why  did  you 
burn  it  up?" 

"Well,  yer  see,  'long's  I 'se  finish  it,  I  jes' 
'cide  I  ain'  gwine  bother  no  mo'  wid  it;  so  I  jes' 
burn  it  right  up.  But"  -he  looked  a  bit  re 
gretful —  "but  I  —  I  reckon  I  could  write  yer 
anurrer  book  —  ef  yer  feels  dat-a-way  'bout  it, 


78  EZEKIEL 

Miss  No'th!  W'y,  I  reckon  I  could  write 
anurrer  one  —  jes'  ez  good  --  Miss  No'th!" 

"I  don't  doubt  that  you  could,  my  child;  I 
don't  doubt  it." 

She  smiled  in  a  way  that  he  hardly  under 
stood,  and  glanced  up  at  the  clock.  Then 
they  both  remembered  a  conversation  which 
they  had  had  the  morning  before. 

"No,  you  needn't  write  me  another  one, 
Ezekiel.  You  know  you  are  going  to  begin  and 
work  hard  now." 

The  soft,  dreamy,  willing  little  dark  face 
looked  back  into  hers,  and  suddenly,  in  a  vivid, 
flashing  moment,  she  felt  the  full  meaning  of  a 
bitter  truth  —  of  a  childlike,  willing,  erring  race 
transplanted  from  the  gentle  drift  of  an  Oriental 
country  to  the  stern,  exacting  West  —  surrounded 
there  by  another  people,  uncomprehending  and 
impatient.  In  the  full  light  of  the  moment  she 
felt  ashamed  that  she  should  have  ever  been 
less  realizing  —  should  have  ever  been  found 
wanting  in  her  part,  so  simple  compared  with 
theirs. 

"Yes,  Ezekiel,"  she  repeated  mechanically, 
"you  are  going  -r-  to  work  hard." 

"Yas  'm,"  he  murmured.     "I  'se  gwine  try." 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER 


1 


WHO'S  DE  FLAG-BEA'R  DIS  MAWNIN'?'" 


THE   COLOUR-BEARER 

EZEKIEL  looked  down  the  long,  straight 
road  which  led  to  the  Whittier  School, 
and  travelled  on  slowly.  It  was  still  early, 
hardly  eight  o'clock,  but,  for  the  hundredth 
time,  he  recalled  those  last  words  which  he 
had  heard  from  Miss  Doane  the  afternoon 
before : 

"If  you  are  here  on  time  to-morrow  morning, 
Ezekiel,  I  am  going  to  let  you  hold  the  flag 
during  morning  exercises;  be  the  flag- bearer. 
You  would  like  that,  I  suppose?" 

The  flag- bearer!  It  was  something  which  he 
could  still  think  of  only  with  'bated  breath. 
The  flag- bearer!  That  he  should  have  lived  to 
deserve  this  honour!  If  he  were  there  on  time? 
Would  there  be  any  doubt  about  his  being  there 
on  time?  He  listened  to  a  far-away  clock  as  it 
measured  out  eight  faint,  even  strokes.  He 
listened  again,  too,  when  the  clock  stopped, 

81 


82  EZEKIEL 

for  he  thought  he  heard  something  else.  It  was 
like  —  music,  he  thought,  and  he  stopped  a 
moment  and  looked  back  down  the  long,  straight 
road  which  threw  out  even  distant  objects  with 
distinctness.  He  saw  the  distant  object  plainly, 
too  —  a  high  wagon  with  two  long  side  seats, 
the  horses  pulling  on  in  front  as  the  music  came 
nearer,  nearer  —  a  band ! 

Ezekiel  felt  a  hot  thrill  of  pleasure  as  he  stepped 
aside  and  looked  up  in  the  full  blare  of  sound 
at  the  men  sitting  there  on  the  long  seats  with 
puffing  cheeks  and  bulging  eyes.  He  wished 
they  wouldn't  go  on!  It  made  him  dance  all 
over,  music  like  that!  And  he  looked  excitedly 
at  the  low  steps  which  led  up  into  the  high  wagon. 
They  would  soon  be  gone.  He  ran  on,  his  blood 
still  throbbing,  dancing,  in  his  veins,  and  caught 
at  the  low  steps,  while  the  men  on  the  long  seats 
still  played  on. 

Oh,  away  down  South  in  Dixie! 
Away!     Away! 

He  threw  his  head  back,  glowing  ecstatically 
with  the  joyous  thrill  of  sound,  and  away  rattled 
the  wagon  with  its  two  long  seats  of  puffing 
men  and  its  one  small  boy  tucked  in  down  below, 
invisible  to  them  all.  Past  the  Whittier  School, 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  83 

around  the  corner,  and  then  down  another  long, 
straight  road  - 

Away!    Away! 

Then,  suddenly,  the  music  stopped,  and  im 
mediately  there  were  only  the  harsh,  metallic 
sounds  of  the  rattling  wagon,  varied  by  a  few 
unmusical  voices  coming  down  from  above. 

"Oh,  shuh!"  breathed  Ezekiel,  in  disgust. 

But  the  unmusical  voices  were  evidently  dis 
cussing  musical  possibilities,  and  presently,  with 
a  few  preliminary  puffs,  something  else  came  down 
from  above  —  something  different,  unexpected, 
too.  A  rare,  sweet,  gentle  flow  it  was,  perhaps 
from  only  a  few  instruments.  But  as  it  flowed 
on  delicately,  alluringly,  Ezekiel's  face  softened 
dreamily,  and  he  gazed  back  over  the  road, 
which  was  growing  longer  behind  them,  uncon 
scious  of  it,  unconscious  of  everything  except 
gently  rolling  on  upon  a  sweet,  rare  drift  of 
sound.  How  long  it  continued  he  did  n't 
know,  but  occasionally  he  felt  dimly  conscious 
of  a  swaying  curve,  of  a  new  direction,  of  still 
rolling  on,  but  always  on  the  sweet,  rare  drift 
of  sound. 

Then  it  stopped  again,  and  he  waked  from 
his  dream  to  another  joyous  rhythm  of  reality, 


84  EZEKIEL 

and  again  he  danced  to  the  "  Tum-te-tum- 
te-tum!  Tum-te-tum!  Tum-te-tum ! "  of  the 
band. 

A  red-clover  field  at  one  side  seemed  to  nod 
delicately,  rhythmically,  with  the  music,  too; 
but  even  that  was  left  behind,  nodding  finally 
only  faintly  in  the  distance. 

Oh,  say,  can  you  see, 
By  the  dawn's  early  light ! 

It  came  like  a  loud,  sudden  call  of  danger, 
and  Ezekiel  started  up  on  his  seat  and  looked 
around  him. 

What  so  proudly  we  hail 

He  jumped  from  the  step  and  stood  in  the 
middle  of  the  road,  looking  confusedly  around 
him  with  a  frightened  face.  Where  was  he? 
What  were  they  playing?  What  were  they 
singing?  No,  what  were  they  playing?  They 
sang  it  at  the  Whittier!  They  sang  it  just  after 
saluting  the  flag!  The  flag  ?  He  was  to  hold 
the  flag  —  he  was  to  be  the  flag-bearer !  This 
morning!  If  —  he  were  there  —  on  —  time! 
Oh,  where  was  he?  They  were  probably  singing 
it  now!  Some  one  else  was  holding  the  flag!  He 
stood  there,  still  looking  around  miserably,  help- 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  85 

lessly.     From  farther  on  down  the  road  a  faint 
and  mocking  strain  came  back  to  him: 

The  star-spangled  banner, 

Oh,  long  may  it  wave 

O  'er  the  land  of  the  free 


He  turned  sharply  and  began  to  run  —  back 
over  the  strange,  hopeless-looking  road,  past 
the  red-clover  field,  still  nodding  delicately  at 
one  side,  past  other  fields  not  noticed  before. 
He  must  be  right.  There  was  only  one  road! 

The  star  !  spang  !  gl-led  !  ban-ner  ! 
Oh,  lo-ong  ma-ay  i-it  wa-ave  ! 

Oh,  how  could  he  have  forgotten? 

The  Whittier  School  stood  lip  straight  and 
still  by  the  road,  and  a  small,  tired-looking  boy 
with  dusty  shoes  came  shuffling  into  the  yard. 
The  sound  of  the  children's  voices  singing  came 
out  to  him  through  the  open  windows,  and  he 
shuffled  on  and  threw  himself  down  on  the  grass 
close  to  the  building.  There  were  two  chords 
from  the  piano,  a  slight  shifting  of  feet,  and  then 
the  children's  voices  came  out  to  him  again: 

"/  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the 
republic  for  which  it  stands  —  one  nation  in 
divisible,  with  liberty  and  justice  for  all'' 


86  EZEKIEL 

He  looked  wearily  around  the  yard.  He 
thought  he  would  n't  go  into  school  at  all  that 
morning;  he  would  just  wait  outside  for  a  little 
while  until  he  found  out  —  there  was  one  thing 
which  he  wanted  to  find  out.  It  was  comfort 
able  lying  there  in  the  sun,  too,  beside  the 
violet-bed,  and  it  may  have  been  an  hour 
later  when  he  looked  up  again  to  see  a  small 
boy  travelling  across  the  yard  to  the  pump. 
Slowly  Ezekiel  pulled  himself  up  from  the  sunny 
grass  and  travelled  across  the  yard  to  the 
pump,  too. 

"Oh,  w'at  you  out  yere  fer,  boy?"  he  began 
in  agreeably  skeptical  tones.  "Miss  Doane '11 
git  after  yer!" 

The  boy  looked  agreeable,  too,  to  even  that 
contingency,  and  Ezekiel  regarded  him  again. 

"Who's  de  flag- bear'  dis  mawnin'?"  he 
questioned  casually. 

"Er  —  a  —  doan't  yer  know?  Dat  li'l  Num 
ber  One  chile,"  ruminated  the  boy.  "L'renzo! 
L'renzo  Cam'ell." 

Ezekiel  looked  incredulous. 

"He  ain'  big  enough  fer  no  flag-bear'!"  he 
commented.  "'N'  I 'se  gwine  be  ter-morrer 
mawnin',  anyhow.  Miss  Doane  tole  me  I  kin." 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  87 

But  when  it  came,  that  to-morrow  morning, 
Ezekiel  stood  modestly  down  in  one  of  the  long 
rows  where  he  had  always  stood  before,  and 
Lorenzo  once  more  marched  proudly  to  the 
platform.  His  chest  rose  high  as  he  grasped 
the  long  pole  which  rested  on  the  floor,  his  small 
heels  came  together,  and  he  felt  very  straight 
and  large.  Ezekiel  looked  at  him  sadly  from 
his  modest  position,  and  regarded  him  as  a 
small  but  presumptuous  rival. 

One!     Two! 

Lorenzo's  little  brown  face  flushed  delicately 
with  pride  and  pleasure. 

"/  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the 
republic  for  which  it  stands  —  one  nation  indi 
visible,  with  liberty  and  justice  for  all" 

He  seemed  to  grow  that  week,  the  small  flag- 
bearer;  his  back  was  always  very  straight,  and 
each  morning  as  he  marched  to  the  platform  his 
chest  rose  high  again,  his  heels  came  together, 
and  with  the  chords  from  the  piano  his  little 
brown  face  always  flushed  again  with  the  same 
thrill  of  pride  and  pleasure.  And  so  the  morn 
ings  went  on,  and  on  Friday  there  was  a  row 
of  visitors  across  the  platform,  who  looked  at 
him  with  amused  smiles  and,  for  the  moment, 


88  EZEKIEL 

felt  nothing  but  gentleness  toward  the  dark- 
skinned  people  for  which  he  stood. 

Ezekiel  noticed,  as  he  looked  up  at  him  that 
morning,  that  he  wore  a  spandy  clean  turn 
over  collar  which  glistened  very  white  as  the 
sun  fell  on  him  through  the  window.  Miss 
North  noticed  it,  too,  as  she  stood  behind 
her  row  of  children,  and  half  consciously  won 
dered  if  his  mother  had  ironed  it  for  him  that 
morning.  She  had  reason,  afterward,  to  notice 
it  again. 

Just  why  her  children  were  late  in  passing 
out  that  noon  she  could  n't  have  told,  definitely. 
Perhaps  it  was  because  there  had  been  a  seem 
ingly  constant  stream  of  visitors  through  her 
room  all  the  morning.  But  she  noticed,  as  she 
stepped  back  from  the  hall,  that  the  Number 
One  children  were  passing  out  behind  her  own 
-late,  too. 

She  sat  down  for  a  moment,  tired  of  numbers 
and  confusion,  and  wondered  what  it  would  be 
like  to  get  away  from  it  all  and  be  quiet. 

Her  children  passed  out  into  the  big  yard 
which  led  out  across  the  car-tracks,  untroubled 
by  numbers  or  confusion,  and  danced  off  into 
the  road.  The  faint  clang  of  a  car-bell  sounded 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  89 

in  the  distance,  and  on  down  the  road  the  chil 
dren  went.  Ezekiel  turned  a  moment,  at  one 
side,  and  looked  back  at  a  few  stragglers  still 
on  the  track. 

"  Look  out ! "  he  called.     "  De  cyar  's  a-comin' ! " 

They  scattered  in  confusion,  and  the  car  came 
swiftly  on.  Miss  North  was  hurrying  on  through 
the  yard,  but  he  did  not  see  her. 

"L'renzo!"  he  shouted.  It  was  only  Lorenzo 
who  was  left  there,  trotting  unconsciously  on 
between  the  tracks.  He  didn't  know! 

"L'renzo!  L'renzo!  De  cyar!  Jump!  Quick!" 
Ezekiel  jumped,  himself,  a'nd  caught  wildly  at 
his  arm,  and  the  great,  rolling  thing  came  on. 

"L'renzo!"  he  called  again,  in  a  thick  voice 
of  terror,  and  something  struck  him. 

"L'renzo!"  And  he  lay  at  one  side  of  the  road, 
while  suddenly  there  seemed  to  be  a  wild,  clamour 
ing  confusion  everywhere.  All  the  children 
seemed  to  be  back  there  again;  Miss  Doane  was 
there,  and  Miss  North  was  trying,  with  a  white 
face,  to  lift  him  from  the  ground.  The  car  had 
gone  on,  and  the  clamour  of  children's  voices 
told  shrilly  of  Lorenzo  —  told  confused,  hys 
terical  things.  They  had  taken  him  on  in  the 
car!  Before  Miss  North  could  stop  them! 


90  EZEKIEL 

Miss  Doane  looked  at  Miss  North. 

"I  will  take  care  of  Ezekiel,"  she  began;  "he 
is  n't  seriously  hurt.  But  you  —  will  you  go 
on  —  and  find  out  about  Lorenzo?" 

"Yes,"  Miss  North's  voice  came  mechanically. 
"Where  is  his  mother?" 

She  never  forgot  that  walk  to  find  her.  She 
never  forgot  the  sickening  pallor  that  shot  into 
the  brown  skin,  so  much  like  Lorenzo's,  when 
she  told  her  there  had  been  —  an  accident.  She 
never  forgot  half  blindly  following  the  woman 
as  she  bolted  wildly  from  the  house,  and  of 
being  swept  on  in  a  strange  contagion  of  excite 
ment  —  she  knew  not  where. 

Finally,  the  crowd  found  itself  focussed,  with  the 
same  contagion  of  excitement,  around  a  small  drug 
store,  and  Miss  North,  still  half  blindly  watching 
the  woman  with  the  sickening  pallor  in  her  brown 
cheeks,  reached  out  and  caught  her  arm. 

"Don't  —  don't  go  in  there,"  she  whispered. 
"Not  yet!  Let  me  go  first." 

The  woman  pushed  on,  struggling  with  the 
crowd,  heedless  to  sound,  and  two  policemen 
stepped  in  front  of  her. 

"Hold  on!  What 's  the  hurry?"  one  of  them 
began  facetiously.  "You  can't  go  in  there!" 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  91 

He  took  her  firmly  by  the  arm,  but  with  helpless, 
desperate  movements  she  still  tried  to  push  on. 

"I  want  my  chile!"  she  began  in  a  hoarse, 
shaking  voice.  "Turn  me  loose!  I  mus'  get  to 
my  chile!  Quick!  Oh,  turn  me  loose!" 

She  struggled  hysterically  with  the  grinning, 
joking  policemen. 

"Hold  on,  now,  sister!  Hold  on,  now!  Don't 
get  excited!" 

There  were  appreciative  guffaws  from  the 
crowd. 

"Oh,  turn  me  loose!"  she  shrieked.  "My 
baby  chile!" 

To  a  philosopher,  watching  unemotionally, 
it  might  have  been  a  scene  to  awaken  a  long 
train  of  thought  —  this  sudden  vivid  picture  of 
the  startled,  agonized  mother-instinct,  rushing 
blindly  ahead  to  save  its  young — in  a  dog  it  would 
have  been  looked  on  with  a  thrill  of  admiration; 
but  in  this  quivering  woman  with  her  sensitive 
brown  face  pallid  and  agonized,  with  the  drops 
of  perspiration  standing  out  on  her  forehead, 
it  was  a  joke. 

As  Miss  North  thought  of  it  afterward,  the  most 
hideous  thing  about  it  was  that  at  the  time  it 
had  all  seemed  so  natural. 


92  EZEKIEL 

But  she  stood  by  the  policemen  herself. 

"Won't  you  let  her  go  in,  please?" 

They  stopped  joking  and  looked  at  her 
politely,  respectfully,  and  the  woman  passed  on, 
she  behind  her.  She,  with  not  a  thousandth 
part  of  the  other's  immediate  portion  out  of 
the  grand  lot  of  human  misery  —  she  was  treated 
with  kindness,  consideration. 

And  yet,  at  the  time,  that  had  seemed  natural, 
too. 

They  went  on  into  the  little  store,  and  through 
to  the  back.  It  was  a  sickening  fulfilment  of 
all  the  unhappy  suspense.  There  on  the  floor 
lay  the  little  figure  that  had  stood  so  proudly 
by  the  flag  that  morning  —  the  small  limbs 
lifeless,  the  piteously  babyish  face  turned  upward, 
the  cruel  gash  on  the  temple  which  had  already 
been  bathed,  perhaps  by  kind  hands,  the  red 
spots  on  the  white  collar  which  had  shone  so 
clean  in  the  sun  earlier  in  the  morning.  There 
was  a  faint  cry  from  a  hopeless  woman,  and 
Miss  North  reached  out  and  felt  for  her,  putting 
her,  with  hushed,  gentle  movements,  into  a 
chair.  But  the  door  opened,  and  a  man  with 
a  shocked,  questioning  face  came  in.  They  said 
he  was  one  of  the  "road  officials."  But,  with 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  93 

that  afterward  of  remembering,  Miss  North 
felt  very  thankful  that  he  did  come  —  that  she 
had  seen  his  face.  He  knelt  down  gently  beside 
the  child.  He  had  a  coarse  physique,  but  he 
also  had  the  fineness  of  feeling. 

"Ain't  it  a  shame?"  he  said  simply,  and  his 
eyes  were  moist. 

He  passed  over  to  the  limp,  moaning  woman, 
and  put  his  hand  kindly  on  her  arm. 

"Now,  you  just  try  to  be  quiet  and  wait  here 
a  few  minutes,"  he  began,  "and  I  'm  going  to 
get  you  taken  right  home."  His  voice  was  full 
of  simple  human  kindness. 

And  this  was  natural,  too. 

Miss  North  found  herself  clinging  to  it  as  her 
mind  flashed  back  to  the  policemen,  to  —  to 
the  man  at  the  wheel  of  the  car.  She  saw  him 
again,  coming  swiftly  on,  indifferent  to  the  small 
things  scattering  confusedly  before  him,  or  to 
the  one  small  thing  still  trotting  unconsciously 
along ;  she  saw  —  would  she  always  see  it  ?  — 
that  one  small  thing  struggling  helplessly  on  the 
fender  while  the  man  at  the  wheel  still  drove  on! 

She  looked  into  the  kind  face,  still  warm  with 
feeling.  That  sort  of  thing  could  not  continue. 
She  said  so,  repeating  it  many  times  to  herself, 


94  EZEKIEL 

as  she  travelled  back  over  the  same  road  again 
that  noon.  There  would  be  enough  simple 
human  kindness,  natural  human  justice,  found 
for  that. 

The  day  wore  away  and  gradually  went  out, 
and  a  new  one  somewhere  in  the  background 
waited  to  take  its  place.  And  with  the  new 
one  came  back,  persistently,  relentlessly,  those 
deep-dyed,  vivid  scenes  of  the  old  one.  Again 
Miss  North  travelled  down  the  same  road  and 
back  again,  watching  them  flash  and  repeat 
themselves  —  and  still  again,  when  the  new  day 
had  worn  old,  the  road  stretched  out  before  her, 
and  a  small  boy  with  a  bandaged  head  walked 
slowly  by  her  side. 

"Does  it  tire  you  very  much  to  walk  so  far, 
Ezekiel?"  she  inquired,  looking  down  at  him 
as  his  feet  moved  on  wearily. 

"No'm.  'Tain'  much  furrer,  is  it,  Miss 
No'th?" 

"No,  not  much  further,  and  then  you  can 
go  home  and  rest  —  can't  you?" 

"Yas'm.  Wat 's  dey  gwine  ax  us  'bout, 
w'en  we  does  git  dere?" 

"About  —  why,  I  don't  know  exactly,  of 
course,  but  they  want  to  find  out  if  —  if  it  was 


"'TADJ'  MUCH  FURRER,  is  IT,  MISS  NO'TH?" 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  95 

any  one's  fault  that  —  you  were  hurt  yesterday, 
that  Lorenzo  —  that  there  should  have  been 
such  an  accident.  Of  course,  if  the  man  could 
have  stopped  his  car  —  and  did  n't,  why,  of 
course,  they  would  n't  want  such  a  man  running 
a  car,  would  they?" 

"No'm,  wouldn't  want  no  sech  a  man's 
dat,"  agreed  Ezekiel;  "w'y  didn't  he  stop  de 
cyar,  Miss  No'th?" 

"I  —  don't  know;  but,  you  see,  they  want 
us  to  tell  them  what  we  saw.  It  is  what 
they  call  a  ' hearing'.  They  want  to  hear  all 
about  it." 

"Yas'm,"  and  they  stopped  before  a  low 
building  standing  close  to  the  road. 

"Now,  Ezekiel,"  said  Miss  North,  turning 
squarely,  "  whatever  else  you  do,  tell  the  plain 
truth  and  nothing  more." 

"Yas'm,"  and  Ezekiel  looked  both  weary  and 
frightened. 

"Come,"  she  added  gently,  looking  at  him, 
"there's  nothing  to  be  afraid  of";  and  they 
went  up  the  low  steps  together. 

When  they  came  out  again  the  sun  had  moved 
on  in  the  sky,  and  Ezekiel  looked  more  weary 


96  EZEKIEL 

and  frightened  than  ever.  Miss  North  looked 
down  at  him,  and  her  breath  came  quickly. 

"I  am  sorry  that  we  should  have  had  to  wait 
-until  the  last,"  she  began;  " there,  there, 
Ezekiel!  Sh  —  sh!  There's  nothing  to  cry 
about!" 

He  caught  sobbingly  at  her  arm. 

"He  —  he  keep  on  axin'  me  —  way  I  could  n' 
—  jes'  understan'!"  he  choked. 

"I  know  it,"  she  went  on  soothingly;  "he  used 
long  words  —  didn't  he ?  —  that  you  couldn't 
understand." 

"Yas'm;  he  --he  keep  on  say  in'  is  de  cyar 
gwine  —  is  de  cyar  gwine  —  sump'n'  'bout  - 

"Was  the  car  going  at  a  'low  rate  of  speed' ?" 
She  smiled,  though  she  looked  weary,  too,  and 
spiritless,  as  her  mind  turned  back. 

"Yas'm;  'n' — 'n'  I  tole  'im,  <Y-yas,  sir,' 
'n'  he  —  he  jes'  laf  an'  say  —  he  f-fought  so!" 

"Never  mind!  Never  mind!"  There  were 
deep  red  spots  on  her  cheeks,  but  she  patted  his 
hand  soothingly.  "He  knew  —  it  wasn't.  I 
told  him  —  exactly  —  how  —  it  was." 

Her  last  words  came  absently,  and  the  red 
spots  burned  in  still  deeper. 

"Never  mind,   Ezekiel,   if  we  were  the  only 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  97 

ones  — who    told    the    truth.     Oh,    child!"    she 
broke  out,  "always  tell  the  truth!" 

Hot  tears  glistened  in  her  eyes  and  dropped 
down  before  them. 

"Y-yas'm,"  he  answered  in  a  faint,  frightened 
voice,  looking  up  at  her  in  consternation, 
"y-yas'm;  but  I  did  n'  mean  ter  tell  'im - 
'twa'n'  gwine  fas'  —  Miss  No'th!  I  —  d-did  n' 
mean  ter  tell  'im  dat!  Only  —  he  —  he  keep 
on  axin'  me  —  way  I  could  n'  -  -  jes'  understan'! 
But  I  tole  'im  — 'bout  it  — too!  I  —  tole  'im 
'fouuz  —  gwine  tur'ble  fas'  -  -  doan't  yer  know, 
Miss  No'th?  I  tole  'im  'twuz!  An' — an' - 
I  tole  'im  —  I  tries  ter  ketch  'im  —  but  —  I 
could  n'  -  -  cuz  -  -  it  come  —  ser  fas'  —  I  —  I 
could  n'!" 

His  words  caught  in  helpless,  quivering  sobs, 
and  he  looked  up  at  her  again  from  under  the 
dry,  hot  bandage.  Her  heart  smote  her  with  a 
dull,  hopeless  pain. 

" There,   there,   my  child!     I  know  you  did, 
and  —  you  told  him  just  as  it  was!     I  know  you 
did !     There,  there,  my  child !    You  must  n't  cry 
-  you  must  n't!" 

She  stopped,  and,  kneeling  down  on  the  cool 
grass  by  the  road,  loosened  the  bandage  around 


98  EZEKIEL 

the   hot,    throbbing   forehead,    her   lips   moving 
with  hushed,  broken  words. 

"You  are  very  tired,  aren't  you  —  little  boy? 
Would  you  like  to  stop  and  rest  a  little,  in  the 
shade?" 

"No'm,  I  ain'  ve'y  tired,  Miss  No'th,"  he 
whispered  appreciatively. 

"Shall  we  go  on,  then  —  slowly?"  She 
smiled  at  him  and  brushed  the  dampness  from 
her  eyes,  and  they  travelled  on  down  the  sunny 
road. 

It  was  not  until  they  passed  the  gate  at  the 
Whittier  School  that  his  weary  little  voice  came 
up  to  her  again  in  a  final  haunting  murmur: 

"  'Twuz  gwine  tur'ble  —  fas'  -  -  an'  -  -  he  —  he 
ain'  nuver  tried  to  stop.     Wat  's  dey  gwine  do 
—  'bout  it  —  Miss  No'th?     'Cuz  he  could  stop 
ef  he  tried  —  but  he  —  he  —  he  ain'  -  -  nuver  - 
tried." 

It  seemed  a  long  time  after  when  she  stood 
before  the  gate  again,  Monday  morning,  and 
heard  that  "they  would  do"  nothing  about  it. 

Her  mind  flashed  back  to  the  hearing,  and 
she  understood.  She  watched  the  children  flock 
through  the  gate  in  hundreds,  and  then,  with 


THE  COLOUR-BEARER  99 

the  same  dull,  hopeless  pain  in  her  heart,  she 
went  on  behind  them.  Where  was  the  simple 
human  kindness  that  she  had  depended  upon  to 
wipe  the  coarse,  miserable  cruelty  away  from 
this  thing?  Where  was  it?  As  if  she  were 
to  be  forever  haunted,  again  she  saw  a  struggling 
child  on  the  fender  of  a  car  while  the  man  at  the 
wheel  still  drove  on.  She  saw  the  tortured 
mother's  face,  the  laughing,  joking  policemen, 
the  limp  little  figure  lying  still  with  its  babyish 
face  turned  upward,  the  red  spots  on  the  clean 
white  collar,  and  the  kind  man  who  knelt  gently 
by  his  side.  She  was  glad  that  she  could  see 
him  still. 

She  went  into  the  school  building,  but  still, 
like  a  panorama,  the  same  scenes  shifted  one 
after  another  before  her  eyes.  The  bells  sounded, 
the  children  marched  into  the  assembly  room 
in  long  lines,  like  a  dream;  and  like  a  dream  she 
saw  another  little  Number  One  boy  mount  to 
the  platform  and  support  the  flag. 

A  car  sounded  faintly  in  the  distance  and 
then  came  whirling  on,  and  to  the  man  at  the 
wheel  the  sound  of  children's  voices,  singing, 
floated  out  through  the  open  windows.  But  he 
whirled  on,  and  two  familiar  chords  came  from 


ioo  EZEKIEL 

the  piano.  Then  the  long  rows  of  children 
shifted  again  and  turned  their  gentle,  dark 
little  faces  up  to  the  flag-bearer.  For  a  moment 
their  eyes  rested  on  him  —  for  a  long,  wondering, 
troubled  moment,  their  small,  upturned  faces 
gazing  at  him  in  a  kind  of  troubled,  patient 
acceptance.  Like  a  last  deep-dyed  scene  of  the 
same  haunting  dream  they  stood  out  —  the 
small,  troubled,  wondering  faces  —  one  of  them 
still  partly  hidden  by  a  bandage,  damp  with  tears. 

But  there  came  the  chords  again;  unques- 
tioningly  the  hands  were  lifted  as  they  had 
always  been  before,  the  eyes  rose  to  the  flag,  and 
once  more  came  all  the  faithful  voices  in  an 
unbroken  whole : 

"I  pledge  allegiance  to  my  flag,  and  to  the  re 
public  for  which  it  stands  —  one  nation  indi 
visible —  with  liberty  and  justice  jor  all" 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR 


"'N'    DE   BIG    W'lTE   GHOST   LIFJ    UP    'IS    ARMS    SLOW— 
DISAWAY IN   DE  LIGHT,  SAY:    'FOLLER   ME  !  '  " 


VI 

MIS'    SIMONS'S   PROTECTOR 

AS  MISS   JANE  LANE  glanced  through  her 
-Z\    window,  her   eyes  fell  on  a  small  figure 
sitting  on  the  walk  at  the  foot  of  the  steps,  its 
chin  propped  on  its  hands. 
•  Miss  Jane  betook  herself  to  the  veranda. 

"Why,  Ezekiel!"  she  began,  with  a  mingling 
of  both  surprise  and  consternation  in  her  tones, 
"you  haven't  finished  weeding  the  walk.  Why 
are  you  stopping?" 

Ezekiel  looked  up  cheerfully. 

"Yas'm,  Miss  Jane,"  he  began,  with  a  ming 
ling  of  both  resignation  and  optimism  in  his 
tones,  "yas'm.  I  'se  gwine  ten'  ter  my  wuk 
praesen'ly,  Miss  Jane,  but  I  'se  jes'  thinkin' 
'bout  time  Mis'  Simons  pass  sech  a  wo'ysome 
night.  Yas'm,  Mis'  Simons  's  de  w'ite  lady 
where  I  wuk  las'  summer.  But  yer  see  time 
she  pass  sech  a  mis'ble  night  —  ain't  I  nuver 
tole  yer  'bout  it,  Miss  Jane?" 

103 


104  EZEKIEL 

"No,"  said  Miss  Jane,  glancing  down  at  the 
walk,  "I  believe  you  never  did." 

"Cuz  seem  like  I  mus?  a  tole  yer  'bout  it,  too. 
Yer  see  it  start  out  disaway.  Cap'm  Simons 
come  in  de  house  one  day,  say- 

"Yes.  But  you  see,  you  haven't  finished  the 
walk,  yet,  Ezekiel.  How  long  will  it  take  to 
tell  me  about  it?" 

"Jes'  a  li'l'  bit  o'  short  w'ile,  Miss  Jane,  cuz 
yer  see,  Cap'm  Simons  come  in  de  house,  say  - 

"Because  you  know  you  must  get  the  walk 
done  very  soon,"  went  on  Miss  Jane,  taking 
one  of  the  veranda  chairs  and  looking  down  a 
bit  doubtfully  at  Ezekiel  who  had  again  propped 
his  chin  on  his  hands. 

"Yas'm,  but  yer  see,  Cap'm  Simons  come  in 
de  house,  say: 

"<W'y,  I'se  sorry,  but  I 'se  'fraid  I  has  ter 
go  ter  Rich'mon'  's  evenin'  -  -  'n'  I  'se  'fraid  I 
cyan'  manage  ter  git  back  'twell  tomorrer.' 

"'N'  Mis'  Simons  say,  <W'y,  Naid,  I'se  kine 
o'  sorry  it  'appen  jes'  dataway,  too.  Cuz 
doan't  yer  know,  dere  's  Jonah  'n'  Sarah  'n' 
Marg'ret  's  all  went  off  ter  de  weddin'  where 
dey  's  talkin'  ser  much  'bout,  'n'  I  tole  'em  'tain' 
nary  one  of  'em  'blige  ter  git  back  'twell  mawninV 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        105 

u'W'y,  sho'  'miff,  dat 's  too  bad,'  de  Cap'm 
say.  'Cert'nly  is  too  bad.  Does  yer  mine 
ve'y  much?' 

"'N'  Mis'  Simons  perten'  co'se  she  ain't  'n' 
say: 

"'W'y,  no.  O'  co'se  not,  Naid.  Co'se  I 'se 
mo'  sense  'n'  dat!  I  reckon  'Zekiel  'n'  I  kin 
manage  de  house  fer  one  night,  cyan't  we, 
'Zekiel?' 

U'N'  I  say,  'Yas'm.'  'N'  de  Cap'm  kine  o' 
smile  'n'  say  he  reckon  so,  too,  'n'  he  reckon  he 
kin  trus'  me,  'n'  nex'  yer  know,  he  's  a-lickin' 
off  down  de  road  fer  de  train.  Mis'  Simons 
she  's  natchelly  a  kine  o'  lookin'  after  'im,  too. 
But  praesen'ly  she  turn  aroun'  'n'  say,  r'al 
smilin' : 

""N'  now  you 's  de  man  o'  de  house,  ain't 
you,  'Zekiel?' 

"'N'  co'se  I  'low  I  is.  But  'tain'  no  cause 
fer  no  wo'yin'  'bout  it  yit,  nurrer.  'Cuz  eve'y- 
thing  goes  along  jes'  ez  ni — ce!  'Twell  'way 
'long  af  supper  time,  'n'  den  Mis'  Simons  's 
a-settin'  outen  de  summer-house  wid  a  book. 
Cert'nly  seem  like  Mis'  Simons  mos'  allays 
'blige  ter  be  readin'  some  kine  o'  book.  But 
dis  yere  time  she  am'  zackly  seem  ter  be  readin' 


io6  EZEKIEL 

nurrer.  Fus'  she  open  'er  book  one  place,  'n' 
den  she  shet  it  up  agin,  'n'  den  she  open  it  agin, 
'n'  den  she  shet  it  up  agin  —  'n'  praesen'ly  she  say: 

"<Oh,  'Zekiel,  I  reckon  I'll  jes'  run  over  'n' 
see  Mis'  Myers  fer  HT  while.  'Tain'  dark  yit,' 
she  say,  'but  ef  I  ain'  come  back  'fo'  eight,  w'y, 
I  'd  like  fer  you  ter  come  'long,  too,  fer  a  com 
panion  back.' 

"Well,  praesen'ly,  co'se  it  'mence  comin' 
along  kine  o'  dark,  'n'  nex'  yer  know  de  clock  's 
a-strikin'  eight.  'N'  she  ain'  home  yit.  'N' 
yit  some'ow  it  look  ser  kine  o'  dark  'n'  gloosome 
down  de  road!  But  yer  see  I  'member  'bout  de 
Cap'm,  'n'  'bout  he  reckon  I  kin  be  'sponsible 
fer  Mis'  Simons,  so  I  jes'  start  'long,  'thouten 
no  mo'  studyin'  'bout  it.  Yas'm,  I  is.  'N'  I 
tells  yer  ef  'tain'  been  fer  dat  —  fer  dat  bu'yin' 
groun'  siden  de  road,  Miss  Jane,  w'y,  ef  'tain' 
been  fer  dat,  reckon  'tain'  been  no  trouble  't  all. 
But  yer  see  —  I  'se  gwine  along  dere,  jes'  gwine 
along  ez  ni — ce!  W'en  I  begins  ter  'member 
dat  where  I  done  hyeah  Jonah  tellin'  'bout  dem 
hants  'n'  ghostses!  But  I  jes'  keep  right  'long, 
too,  right  along  'twell  I  come  right  out  siden  de 
bu'yin'  groun'.  'N'  oh,  my  soul!  My  soul, 
Miss  Jane!  Dey 's  ghostses  all  eroun'!  Whole 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        107 

passel  of  'em!  Jes'  a-cavortin'  'roun'  dere  ez 
ef  dey  's  to  a  party.  Some  of  'em  's  a-settin' 
down,  'n'  some  of  'em  's  a-stan'in'  up,  'n'  some 
of  'em  's  jes'  a-steppin'  'n'  a-/f^pin'  roun' !  Oh, 
my  soul,  Miss  Jane!  I  'se  mos'  skeered  ter  def." 

"Now,  Ezekiel,  you  certainly  must  have  imag 
ined  this,"  put  in  Miss  Jane. 

"'Magine!  Lor,  Miss  Jane!  I  tells  yer  I 
seen  'em!  Dey  's  jes'  a  hoppin'  r'oun' !  'N'  I 
could  n'  tek  nary  step  furrer  ter  bless  me.  No'm, 
I  could  n'.  Cuz  I  could  'n  move  no  mo'  'n 
s'  ef  I  'se  froze  to  a  chunk  o'  ice.  'N'  I  wish  I 
is,  too.  'N'  I  reckon  you  '11  wish  so,  too,  w'en 
I  tells  yer  'bout  it.  Cuz  doan't  yer  know,  nex' 
I  knows,  it 's  one  o'  dem  ghostses  a-joggin' 
right  'long  outen  de  bu'yin'  groun',  'n'  right 
along  siden  me  on  de  road!  Well,  ain't  yer 
reckon  I  start  'long  'thout  no  mo'  argaments! 
Yas'm!  Up  de  road  'n'  up  de  road  -  - 'n'  inter 
Mis'  Myers's  gate  —  'n'  up  de  steps  —  'twell  I 
bus'  right  in  where  Mis'  Simons  'n'  Mis'  Myers 
wuz  a  settin'.  'N'  den  I  jes'  drap  down  a-yellin' 
ter  Mis'  Simons  'bout  de  ghostses. 

"Mis'  Simons,  co'se  she  ain'  r'ally  'spectin' 
me  ter  bus'  in  no  sech  a  way  's  dat,  'n'  she  start 
up  kine  o'  s'prise  'n'  look  at  me  'n'  say: 


io8  EZEKIEL 

'"W'y,  'Zekiel!  Stop  it!  Stop  dis  minit! 
Wat  does  yer  mean  by  ca'yin'  on  'n'  ack'in' 
like  dis!' 

"But  I  keep  on  yellin'  'bout  de  ghostses,  'n' 
a  floppin'  on  de  flo'  'twell  Mis'  Simons  stan' 
up  'n'  I  kin  see  'tain'  no  foolishness  'bout  it, 
nurrer. 

"'Git  up  off  en  dat  flo'  dis  minit!'  she  say. 
'Git  up!  Now  doan't  yer  lemme  hyeah  anurrer 
word  'twell  yer  kin  talk  mo'  sens'ble.  W'y, 
I 'se  'shamed  of  yer,  'Zekiel!'  she  say. 

"'N'  yer  see,  it  soun'  ser  much  like  r'al  sense 
w'en  she  spoke,  dat  'co'se  I  kine  o'  ease  off  'n' 
den  I  'mence  tellin'  'er  'bout  it  'gin. 

'"Now,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  "co'se  I 'se  sorry 
ef  yer  's  been  frighten,  but  dis  certainly  's  all  yer 
'magernation,  chile,  all  yer  'magernation.' 

"'No'm,   'tain'  no  'magernation,'  I  say. 

"'Yes,  'Zekiel,  't  is.  'Tirely  yer  'magernation,' 
she  say.  'But  yer  jes'  se'  down  'n'  res'  yerself,' 
she  say.  'I  reckon  Mis'  Myers '11  let  yer,  'n' 
praesen'ly,  w'en  yer  gits  fru  dis  yere  foolishness, 
we  '11  start  fer  home.' 

"So  co'se  I  se'  down,  'n'  Mis'  Simons  'n' 
Mis'  Myers  begins  a-laffin'  'n'  talkin'  'twell 
praesen'ly  Mis'  Simons  say: 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        109 

"'Well,  I  'spec'  I  mus'  be  gwine,  Mis'  Myers,' 
she  say,  'good-night!  Certainly 's  done  me 
good  ter  see  you.' 

"'N'  we  start  'long. 

"'Now,  'Zekiel,'  Mis'  Simons  say,  soon 's 
de  do  's  shet,  'ef  yer  's  'tall  frighten,  yer  kin  put 
yer  han'  right  de  under  siden  my  arm,  data  way,' 
she  say,  '  'n'  keep  it  dere,  but  I  doan'  wanter 
hyeah  no  mo'  foolishness  'bout  ghostses  ter- 
night.' 

"'Yas'm,'  I  answer,  'but  yer  see  I--I  'clare 
I  seen  'em,  Mis'  Simons.'  'N'  we 's  gittin' 
right  'long  dere  now,  too  —  siden  de  bu'yin' 
groun'. 

'"No,  'Zekiel,  yer  prob'bly  thought  yer  seen 
sump'n',  she  say,  'but  yer  ain't  r'ally.  Jes' 
look  up  yonder  at  de  stars,'  she  say.  'Ain' 
dey  bright  'n'  beautiful  's  evenin',  'Zekiel?' 

"'Yas'm,'  I  answer  'er  'gin,  'but  ef  I  ain' 
seen  w'at  I  seen,  w'at  is  I  seen,  Mis'  Simons  ? ' 

"'W'y,  shadders,  I  s'pose,'  'n'  she  jes'  turn 
Jer  haid  'n'  look  right  in  dere  — '  shadders,  you 
foolish  chile,'  she  say,  'but  I  'se  'fraid  you 
wuz  n't  ve'y  brave,  wuz  you,  'Zekiel?'  'N'  she 
jes'  keep  on  a-talkin'  data  way,  '  shadders  - 
w'y,  o'  co'se,  you  foolish  chile  —  jes'  shadders. 


no  EZEKIEL 

But  looker  dat  won' erf ul  star  right  siden  de 
moon,  'Zekiel ! '  she  say.  '  M  —  m  —  m  —  I 
won'er  w'at  de  Cap'm  's  doin'  wid  'isself  dis 
evenin'  -  -  doan't  you  ? ' ' 

"Yes,  of  course,  I  see  how  it  happened,"  said 
Miss  Jane,  "but,  of  course,  you  don't  believe 
for  a  minute  that  there  really  are  such  things  as 
ghosts,  do  you,  Ezekiel?" 

"Wha'm  you  say?  Yas'm,  I  seen  plenty  o' 
ghostses  dat-er  time.  Ain't  yer  nuver  seed  a 
ghos'  yit,  Miss  Jane?" 

"No,  I  certainly  have  not." 

"Cuz  Mis'  Simons  say  'tain'  no  sech  a  thing 
ez  ghostses,  too.  But  I  reckon  she  ain'  fergit 
w'at  'appen  in  de  night,  nurrer." 

"Why,  Ezekiel,  there  did  n't  anything  happen 
in  the  night,  did  there?" 

"Ya-as,  ma-am!  'N'  dey  did!  'N'  dey  jes' 
did!" 

"Why,  how  very  unfortunate!"  ejaculated 
Miss  Jane. 

"Yas'm,  certainly  wuz.  'N'  she 's  mos'  a 
hour  lockin'  up,  too.  '  'N'  'Zekiel,'  she  say, 
'you  kin  sleep  in  Sarah's  room  ter-night  sence 
we  's  all  'lone.  Yer  'd  like  ter  sleep  in  Sarah's 
room,  I  s'pose?'  she  say. 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        in 

"I  am'  cyare  ser  much  'bout  sleep  in'  in  no 
Sarah's  room,  but  I  am'  sayin'  nuthin'  'n' 
praesen'ly  Mis'  Simons  she  start  fer  'er  room 
'n'  shet  de  do'.  But  jes'  'fo'  she  's  raidy  ter  git 
in  de  baid,  she  open  it  agin  r'al  sof  -  -  jes'  a 
h'T.  De  moon  's  a-shinin'  right  in  crossen  de 
room,  ser  bright  I  kin  see  'er  stan'in'  dere  jes' 
plain  's  day  wid  dese  yere  long  w'ite  things  kine 
o'  drappin'  roun'  'er  sof  'n'  flowin'  like.  'N'  I 
'clare  she  look  mos'  like  a  angel,  too.  Praesen'ly 
she  go  'cross  de  room  ter  de  winder.  Look  like 
she  mus'  be  lookin'  at  de  moon.  'N'  I  'se 
jes'  layin'  dere  —  a-lookin'  too  -  -  'twell  — look 
like  she  seem  ter  be  kine  o'  fadin'  'way.  'N' 
praesen'ly  it 's  jes'  one  big,  w'ite  ghost  a-standin' 
dere  all  'lone  where  Mis'  Simons  is  befo'. 

"'N'  de  big  w'ite  ghost  lif  up  'is  arms  slow  — 
disaway  —  in  de  light,  say: 

"Toiler   me!' 

"'N'  same  time  big,  w'ite  ghost  spoken  de 
words,  it 's  de  trufe,  whole  lot  o'  HT  ghostses 
come  a  flyin'  right  in  fru  de  winder  —  mo'  'n' 
mo',  'twell  de  room  's  all  fill  up  wid  'em.  'N' 
den  de  big  ghost  lif  up  'is  arms  slow  agin,  same 
way's  befo',  'n'  speak  'gin,  say: 

"Toller  me!' 


ii2  EZEKIEL 

"'N'  same  time,  he  step  off  kine  o  'light  'n' 
slow  'n'  easy,  dancin'  like  'roun'  de  room,  'n'  all 
de  KT  ghostses  after  'im.  Fus'  jes'  light  'n' 
slow  'n'  easy,  'twell  de  big  ghost  lif  up  'is  arms 
'gin,  'n'  den  dey  all  'mence  gwine  fas'er,  'twell 
de  big  ghost  speak  'gin  —  kine  o'  singin'  like,  say : 

"'Fus'  we  goes  'roun'  in  a  circle  'n'  den  we 
goes  'roun'  in  a  squar'!" 

"'N'  same  time  he  spoke,  de  clock  struck  one. 

"'N'  den  all  de  KT  ghostses  join  in,  sing: 

"'Fus'  we  goes  'roun'  in  a  circle  'n'  den  we 
goes  'roun'  in  a  squar'!' 

"'N'  de  stranges'  thing!  Same  time  dey  sing 
de  words  de  clock  struck  one  agin.  'N'  dey 
'mence  gwine  fas'er  'n'  fas'er  roun'  in  de  circle, 
'twell  seem  like  dey 's  gwine  ser  fas'  I  cyan' 
see  nuthin'  'cep'n'  a  kine  o'  dash  o'  w'ite  gwine 
'roun'.  'Twell  dey  stop  all  't  once,  'n'  den 
marchin',  marchin',  keepin'  time,  dey  'mence  de 
squar' ! 

"'Fus'  we  goes  'roun'  in  a  circle  'n'  den  we 
goes  'roun'  in  a  squar'!'  big  ghost  sing  agin. 
'N'  de  clock  struck  one 

"'Fus'  we  goes  'roun'  in  a  circle  'n'  den  we 
goes  'roun'  in  a  squar' ! '  all  de  KT  ghostses  join 
in  —  'n'  same's  befo',  de  clock  struck  one! 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        113 

"Well,  I 'se  gittin'  ser  skeered  by  dis  time  I 
could  n'  scacely  move.     'N'  still  dey  keep  on  - 
a-singin'  'n'  a-dancin'  'n'  a-marchin'  'n'  a-holl'in' 
'bout  de  circle  'n'  de  squar',  'n'  all  time  de  clock 
strikin'  one! 

"Oh,  my!     I  wisht  Mis'  Simons    'd  come  'n' 
chase  'em  out,  but  dey  keep  on  athout  no  stop 
-  same   thing   over  'n   over   agin,    'n'    de   clock 
strikin'  one — one  —  one ! 

"  'Mis'  Simons /'  I  holler,  'Mis'  Simons/ Ain't  yer 
comin'!  Dey 's  ghostses  in  de  room!  Mis'  Simons!' 

"'N'  same  time  he  hyeah  me  holler  big  ghost 
lif  up  'is  arms  agin  — -  slow,  'n'  den  he  jes' 
dance  off  light  'n'  easy  todes  de  do',  'n'  all  de 
li'P  ghostses  after  'im. 

"'Mis'  Simons!'  I  holler  agin.  'Mis'  Simons!' 
'N'  de  ghostses  dance  right  down  styairs. 

"'N'  same  time,  I  open  my  eyes,  'n'  de  do' 
creak  back,  'n'  it 's  Mis'  Simons  a-stan'in'  dere 
wid  a  cannle  in  'er  han'. 

"'Is  yer  call,  'Zekiel?'  she  say,  'I'se  mos' 
sho'  I  hyeah  someone  callin'.' 

"But  w'en  I  tries  tell  'er  I  is,  my  bref  cotch 
me  so  in  my  froat,  'tain'  no  use,  'n'  I  could  n' 
seem  do  nuthin'  'cep'n'  cry  'n'  bu'y  my  haid 
'way  down  in  de  clo'es  'n'  keep  right  on  cryin' 


ii4  EZEKIEL 

'n'  my  bref  still  a-cotchin'  me  in  my  froat.  'N' 
I  reckon  Mis'  Simons  mils'  'a'  been  kine  o' 
s'prise,  too.  'Cuz  she  come  right  'crossen  de 
room  w'en  she  hyeah  me,  'n'  praesen'ly  I  kin  feel 
'er  han'  a  pushin'  de  clo'es  back  offen  my  haid. 

"'Wat 's  de  matter  wid  you,  'Zekiel,'  she  say, 
'w'y,  what's  de  matter  wid  you?  Wat?'  she 
say,  ben'in'  down  like  she  cyan'  hyeah,  'W'y, 
I  cyan'  understan'  nuthin'  yer  say,  'Zekiel. 
Now  wait  a  minit,'  she  say.  'Jes'  wait  a  minit 

-  'twell  yer  git  a  KT  mo'  quiet.'  'N'  her  voice 
soun'  ser  kine  o'  sof  'n'  reasonin'  seem  like  it 
mek  me  'mence  ter  feel  jes'  a  liT  better.  'N' 
praesen'ly  I  open  my  eyes  'n'  look  up. 

"I  reckon  yer  cyan'  see  me  fru  all  dem  tears, 
kin  yer?'  she  say,  laffin'  sof  too,  'w'y,  w'at  in 
de  worP  has  you  been  ser  frighten  'bout,  chile?' 
'N'  same  time,  look  like  she  's  a  kine  o'  shimmerin' 
back  'n'  fofe  in  de  light. 

"'It 's--  'bout  de  ghostses,'  I  w'isper  to  'er. 
'De  ghostses  come,  Mis'  Simons --'n'  dey  jes' 
keep  on  a-dancin'  'roun'  in  de  circle  'n'  a-marchin' 
in  de  squar'!' 

"'  A-dancin'  'roun'  in  de  circle  'n'  a-marchin'  in 
de  squar'!'  'N'  she  'mence  a-laffin'  right  out  loud. 

"'Yas'm,  dey  is,'  I  say. 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        115 

"'But  where  is  dey  now?'  she  ask,  a  lookin' 
'roun',  'is  you  sho'  'twan't  a  dream,  'Zekiel?' 

"'No'm.  'Tain'  no  dream,'  I  say.  'Cuz  I 
seen  'em  w'en  dey  went  downstyairs.' 

" '  Downstyairs  ?  So  dey  went  downstyairs,  did 
dey?'  she  say.  'Now,  'Zekiel!  Yer  know  'twuz 
jes'  a  dream!  'Tain'  nobody  downstyairs. 
Would  yer  like  me  ter  go  down  'n'  tell  yer  so  fer 
sho'  ?' 

"'Oh,  no'm!'  I  holler,  'doan't  yer  go  down 
styairs,  Mis'  Simons!  Doan't  yer  go!' 

"'But  ef  dey 's  anybody  down  dere,  'Zekiel,' 
'n'  she  'mence  kine  o'  laffin'  agin,  w'y,  doan't 
yer  think  -  '  but  she  stop. 

'"Doan't  yer  think-  'n'  she  stop  agin,  'n' 
walk  off  todes  de  do'  -  -  listenin'  like. 

"'W'y,  dat's  kine  o'  strange,  too,'  she  say, 
talkin'  low  to  'erself  like,  w'y,  w'at  wuz  dat  I 
won'er,'  she  say. 

""Twuz  a  do9  a-shettin' ,  Mis'  Simons!'  'N' 
she  ain'  say  nary  word,  'cuz  she  could  hyeah 
it  jes'  plain  's  day. 

"'It  mus'  be  de  win','  she  say  to  'erself  agin. 
'W'y  — now  w'at's  dat?' 

"'It's  de  ghostses!  A- step  pin'  all  tergerrer!'  I 
holler.  l  It 's  de  ghostses  a-marchin'  in  de  squarT 


u6  EZEKIEL 

"'Now  wait,    'Zekiel,'    she   say,    V    'er  voice 
soun'  kine  o'  diffren',   'be  quiet,   'Zekiel.     I- 
mus'  go  down--'n'  see.' 

"'Doan't  yer  go,  Mis'  Simons!'  I  holler.  <Oh, 
please!  Please  doan't  yer!  Mis'  Simons!'  'N' 
she  turn  right  'roun'. 

" "Zekiel,'  she  say,  'I  want  yer  ter  stop  dis 
ve'y  minit.  Does  yer  want  ter  help  me  or  not?' 
she  say.  'Cuz  ef  yer  do,  yer 's  ter  jes'  lie  puf- 
feck'ly  still  where  y'  are.'  'N'  she  tukkeri  de 
cannle  'n'  walk  right  outen  de  room. 

"Well,  I  could  n'  'a'  felt  any  diffren'  ef  I  'se 
jes'  froze  in  de  baid.  'N'  look  like  I  is,  too! 
Cuz  I  jes'  keep  on  a-layin'  dere  -  -  'twell  ef  'tain' 
been  fer  thinkin',  look  like  I  might  jes'  keep  on 
a-layin'  dere.  But  yer  see,  praesen'ly,  I  'mence 
ter  'member  w'at  de  Cap'm  say  'bout  my  bein' 
'sponsible  fer  Mis'  Simons.  'N'  it's  de  trufe, 
Miss  Jane,  I  'se  jes'  a  fixin'  ter  git  outen  de  baid 
w'en  —  plain  ez  day,  keepin'  time,  de  ghostses 
'mence  a-marchin'  in  de  squar',  Miss  Jane! 
'N'  —  'n'  w'at  yer  s'pose?  De  clock  struck  one! 

"W'y,  I  could  n'  'a'  gotten  outen  dat  baid  ef 
'twuz  a  fun'ral  percession  gwine  right  by  de 
winder." 

"Ezekiel!    Think  of  poor  Mrs.  Simons!" 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR       117 

"Yas'm.  I'se  thinkin'  'bout  'er,  too.  'N' 
doan't  yer  know,  she  's  a-holl'in',  too. 

""Zekiel!'  she  say  'way  down  below,  "Zekiel! 
Come  hyeah  dis  minit!  Dis  ve'y  minit!' 

"Oh,  my  laws!  I  jes'  kiver  up  my  haid  'n' 
sweat." 

"Ezekiel!"   moaned  Miss  Jane. 

"Yas'm,  I  jes'  kiver  up  my  haid  'n'  sweat." 

Miss  Jane's  gasp  of  despair  was  almost  inau 
dible. 

"But  I'se  thinkiri'  'bout  Mis'  Simons,  too. 
Yas'm,  I  is.  'N'  praesen'ly  I  putten  my  haid 
out,  same  's  ef  I  'spec'  fer  it  ter  be  chop  right 
off  -  -  'n'  listen.  But  she  ain'  speak  agin,  'n' 
'tain'  nary  a  soun'  nowheres  'cep'n'  de  big,  ole 
clock  a-tickin'  -  -  tickin'  in  de  hall, '  'n'  de  breeze 
a  playin'  jes'  a  li'F  in  de  winder. 

"'Dey's  kill  'er!'  I  say  ter  myself.  'Mis' 
Simons  's  daid!  Mis'  Simons  's  daid!'  'N'  I 
hop  outen  dat  baid  'n'  jump  inter  my  clo'es  - 
oh,  my!  I  'se  hu'yin'  so  den  seem  like  I  cyan' 
breve  --'n'  I  start  outen  de  do',  'n'  inter  de  top 
hall  —  oh,  my!  —  seem  like  I  ain'  nuver  gwine 
git  dere  -  -  'n'  same  time  I  gits  in  de  top  hall 
I  hyeah  a  kine  o'  deep  voice  a-comin'  up  fum 
below.  But  'tain'  nary  a  soun'  fum  Mis'  Simons. 


n8  EZEKIEL 

'"It  's  de  big  ghost!'  I  say.  'Oh,  wait!  Mis' 
Simons!  Wait!  I 'se  comin'  ter  help  yer! 
Mis'  Simons!  I  'se  comin'' I  Wait!7  'N'  I  jump 
down  de  styairs  all  ter  once,  'n'  tyeah  fru  de  hall, 
'n'  bus'  open  de  libr'y  do'  a-tellin'  'er  all  de  time 
I  'se  comin'.  But  time  I  bus'  open  de  lib'ry  do', 
I  jes'  tum'le  right  down  'n'  cyan'  go  no  furrer 
ter  bless  me.  'N'  same  time  I  know  de  room  's 
all  full  o'  light,  'n'  I  know  Mis'  Simons  is  a- 
stan'in'  by  de  fiah  'n'  a  man  's  a-talkin'  to  'er 
kine  o'  deep  'n'  low. 

"'Oh,  Mis'  Simons!'  I  scream,  'doan'  yer  let 
'em,  Mis'  Simons!  Cuz  I  'se  come  ter  help  yer! 
I 'se  come  —  ter  help  yer!'  'N'  look  like  I 
could  n'  breve  no  mo'  'tall. 

" '  W'y  —  w'at  —  in  de  —  worP ! '  I  hyeah  some 
one  say,  '  w'at  —  in  de  worl' ! '  'N'  I  could 
hyeah  steps  on  de  carpet,  'n'  Mis'  Simons's  voice 
comin'  nare. 

'"He's  mos'  frighten  ter  def,  Naid,'  she  say, 
"Zekiel!  Wat's  de  matter?  Wat's  de  matter 
wid  you  ?  He  's  been  dreamin'  'bout  ghostses, 
Naid,  'n'  got  ve'y  much  frighten,'  she  say.  'W'y, 
'Zekiel!  Wat's  de  matter  wid  you,  chile? 
Did  yer  'magine  sump'n  else?  W'y  'twas  jes' 
de  Cap'm  comin'  back!' 


MIS'  SIMONS'S  PROTECTOR        119 

"'Yas'm,'  I  answer  'er,  'n'  I  tries  ter  tell  'er 
'bout  my  bein'  'sponsible  fer  'er. 

""Sponsible?'  de  Cap'm  say,  kine  o'  brekkin' 
in,  ' 'sponsible  fer  'er?  W'y,  sho'  nuff!'  'N' 
he  'mence  ter  laf  'n'  laf  'n'  Mis'  Simons  kine 
o'  'mence,  too.  But  den  she  put  out  'er  han' 
'n'  tech  'is  arm,  'n'  look  like  she  's  a-tryin'  not 
ter  smile  'tall. 

'"Doan't  yer  laf  at  'im,  Naid,'  she  say  low, 
'n'  turn  'roun'  agin.  'So  yer  come  down  ter 
pertec'  me,  did  yer?'  she  ask  me,  'dat  wuz 
ve'y  nice  uv  yer,  'Zekiel.  .  .  .  'N'  now  lessee 
ef  yer  cyan't  git  up  'lone?  Cyan't  yer?  Help 
'im,  Naid,'  she  say.  'W'y,  he  ain'  no  strength 
'tall!' 

'" Hullo,  boy!'  de  Cap'm  say,  'n'  ben'  over 
'n'  lif  me  right  up,  'w'y,  come  on,  boy!  Wat 's 
de  matter  wid  yer  ?  You  's  been  havin'  kine  uv 
a  bad  time  lookin'  af  Mis'  Simons,  ain't  yer?' 
'N'  he  ca'ied  me  right  up  de  styairs.  'Kine  uv 
a  bad  time!  Well,  I  reckon  I  better  stay  right 
yere  ter  home  af  dis,  doan'  you,  'Zekiel?' 

"'Yas,  sir,'  I  answer  him,  'I  reckon  you  is.' 

'"'N'  yit  look  like  yer  been  a  right  good  per- 
tecter  fer  de  fus'  time,  too,'  'n'  he  kine  o'  laf  agin. 
'A  right  good  pertecter,  ain't  yer?  Well,  now, 


120  EZEKIEL 

I  reckon  you  'se  gwine  be  all  right,  ain't  yer? 
Yas,  sir,  I  reckon  you  is!  'N'  I  'spose  you 
better  git  ter  dreamin'  soon  's  possible,'  he  say, 
'n'  walk  along  outen  de  room. 

".  .  .  But  jes'  fo'  I  shet  my  eyes,  de  do' 
creak  open,  'n'  Mis'  Simons  stan'  dere  agin  wid 
de  cannle  flickerin'. 

"'You  feels  better,  doan't  yer,  'Zekiel?'  she 
say,  (yas.  I  fought  yer  did.  Well,  go  ter 
sleep  now.  'Tain'  nuthin'  mo'  ter  wo'y  'bout 
now,  is  dey?  No,  nuthin'  mo'.  Go  right  ter 
sleep.'" 

"H —  m — "  meditated  Miss  Jane,  "it  was 
time  to  go  to  sleep,  wasn't  it?" 

She  looked  down  at  the  walk  and  then  away 
at  the  sun  which  had  dropped  low  in  the  sky. 

"Yes.  .  .  .  But  Ezekiel,  look!"  And  she 
pointed  away  to  the  low  sun.  "Are  you  going 
to  finish  the  weeding,  now?" 

"Yas'm.  'N'  I  could  see  'er  cannle  flickerin' 
down  de  hall." 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES 


YAS'M,  I'LL  COME  'ROUN'  RIGHT  AFTER  SCHOOL' 


VII 

EZEKIEL   PROMISES 

WITH  her  conscience  working  in  insistent 
thumps,  Miss  Jane  Lane  stepped  down 
from  her  clean  white  veranda  and  looked  through 
the  trees  to  the  house  of  her  neighbour.  Across 
the  well-kept  lawn  in  front  of  the  house  she 
watched  a  small  figure  move  slowly.  That  it 
was  Ezekiel  there  seemed  to  be  not  a  reasonable 
doubt;  and  with  another  insistent,  conscientious 
reminder,  she  again  realized  that  she  was  losing 
track  of  her  former  protege.  Why,  it  was  more 
than  two  weeks  since  she  had  seen  Ezekiel!  As 
she  moved  on  across  the- green  lawn  to  the  neigh 
bouring  house,  she  still  looked  through  the  trees 
at  the  small,  slowly  moving  figure.  Then  she 
wound  into  the  yard  by  way  of  a  curved  path 
and  stood  before  him. 

"Why,  Ezekiel!"  she  began,  "what  are  you 
doing?"  For  at  the. very  moment  of  her  arrival 
he  had  taken  an  unexpected  leap  into  the  air, 

123 


i24  EZEKIEL 

with  some  ultimate  purpose,  apparently,  of 
soaring  away  to  the  clouds  quite  beyond  her 
reach. 

Just  at  this  moment  there  was  a  step  behind 
her,  and  Miss  Jane  turned  and  recognized  her 
neighbour,  Mr.  Jonas  Rankin.  Now,  Mr.  Jonas 
Rankin,  like  Miss  Jane,  was  a  New  Englander. 
In  fact,  Miss  Jane  had  known  him  in  New  Eng 
land  before  she  had  known  him  in  Virginia. 
To  be  even  more  explicit,  although  Miss  Jane 
and  Mr.  Ran-kin,  as  she  called  him,  had  known 
each  other  many  years,  neither  one  had  the 
slightest  affection  for  the  other.  And  though 
Miss  Jane  would  not  admit  that  she  entertained 
the  least  rancour  toward  her  neighbour,  she  did 
acknowledge  that  at  times  his  views  and  expres 
sions  of  opinion  were  certainly  very  peculiar 
and  exasperating.  She  was  even  forced  to  recall 
that  more  than  once,  in  talking  with  him,  she 
had  become  so  wroth  that  the  only  safe  thing 
had  been  to  discontinue  the  conversation.  It 
was  with  a  perceptible  slight  straightening  in 
general  carriage,  then,  that  Miss  Jane  turned 
and  recognized  her  neighbour. 

"Oh,  good-morning,  Mr.  Ran-kin,"  she  began, 
in  a  well-directed  attempt  at  affability  com- 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  125 

bined  with  dignity,  "  good  -  morning !  Yes,  I 
was  just  having  a  little  conversation  with  Ezekiel. 
You  know,  I  am  always  interested  in  Ezekiel, 
and  he  seemed  to  be  acting  so  very  strangely 
as  I  came  in.  I  was  just  questioning  him  as 
to  what  he  was  doing." 

"  Doing!"  interrupted  Mr.  Jonas  Rankin, 
without  introductory  parley  of  any  sort.  " Doing! 
Good  Lord!  If  you  can  find  out  one  thing 
that  he  has  done  in  the  last  hour  and  a  half, 
Miss  —  Miss  Lane,  I'll  be  much  obliged!" 

Miss  Jane  glanced  around  the  yard  with 
evident  hopes  of  obliging  Mr.  Rankin,  and,  not 
being  immediately  successful,  glanced  at  Ezekiel, 
who,  having  alighted  from  his  brief  flight,  was 
standing  smilingly  before  them. 

" Doing!"  put  in  Mr.  Rankin  again,  while 
his  naturally  red  face  seemed  to  deepen  in  hue 
with  repetition.  "I  put  him  out  here,  Miss  Lane, 
to  pick  up  a  few  leaves  and  sticks.  By  the 
looks,  now,  I  should  say  he  might  get  through 
by  the  end  of  next  week!" 

"Why,  Ezekiel!"  began  Miss  Jane,  feeling 
really  mortified  as  well  as  apologetic,  "do  you 
call  this  work?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel,   still  smiling  amia- 


126  EZEKIEL 

bly.  "I'se  jes'  a-chasin'  a  leaf,  Miss  Jane. 
Yer  see,  Mister  Rankin  he  tole  me  ter  git  all  de 
leaves  'n'  sticks  'n'  any  udder  liT  ole  fings  I  seen 
layin'  'roun'."  Just  here  he  took  another  leap 
after  another  elusive  leaf,  and  Miss  Jane  in 
voluntarily  reached  up  a  detaining  arm. 

"Why,  Ezekiel!"  she  began,  when  he  had 
once  more  descended,  "how  you  do  act  this  morn 
ing!  Now,  please  don't  go  careering  up  like 
that  again !  You  have  work  to  do  here  which 
you  must  finish.  And  not  only  that,  but  when 
you  get  through  here,  I  have  something  which  I 
should  like  to  have  you  do  for  me.  Now,  think. 
Can  you  come  and  do  a  little  work  for  me  this 
afternoon,  after  school?" 

"Af  school  —  dis  evenin'?"  ruminated  Eze 
kiel.  "Yas'm,  I  kin  do  a  liT  wuk  fer  yer  af 
school,  Miss  Jane." 

"Now,  see  here,"  put  in  Mr.  Rankin,  "excuse 
me,  Miss  Lane,  but  no,  you  can't,  either,  you 
young  rascal.  You  promised  to  come  back 
here  again  after  school  and  finish  your  work 
here.  You  know  you  did,  now,  so  what  are 
you  talking  about?" 

"Yas,  sir,  I  'se  comin'  back  agin  af  school - 
ter  finish  my  wuk  yere,  Mister  Rankin." 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  127 

"But  then  why  did  you  say  that  you  would 
come  to  me,  Ezekiel?"  objected  Miss  Jane. 
"  Because,  of  course,  you  can't  be  in  two 
places  at  once.  I  am  sorry  that  you  can't, 
because  I  need  you  very  much  —  right  after 
school." 

Miss  Jane  looked  perplexed,  and  Ezekiel 
looked  up  at  her  comfortingly. 

"Yas'm,   I  '11  come  'roun'   right  after  school, 
Miss  Jane,  jes'  soon 's  I  kin  git  dere;  yas'm  - 
I'll-    -" 

"Why,  you  young  weathercock!"  expostulated 
Mr.  Rankin,  flourishing  his  cane  around  excitedly, 
"didn't  you  just  tell  me  that  you  were  coming 
here  right  after  school?" 

"Yas,  sir  —  yas,  sir,"  corrected  Ezekiel  con 
fusedly,  "I--I  tole  yer  I 'se  comin'  yere  right 
af  school,  'cuz  co'se  —  yas,  sir,  I  'se  a-comin' 
yere  right  af  school,  Mister  Rankin  - 

"But,  Ezekiel,"  concluded  Miss  Jane  gently, 
"then,  of  course,  you  can't  come  to  me." 

"Yas'm,  I --I'll  come  ter-  -"  he  began 
unsteadily,  while  his  words  caught  confusedly  in 
his  throat,  "I'll-  -" 

"No,"  went  on  Miss  Jane,  gentleness  still 
dropping  through  her  reserve,  "no,  Ezekiel,  you 


128  EZEKIEL 

can't.     You   see,    he   naturally   is   of   a   very  — 
a  very  obliging  disposition,   Mr.   Ran-kin." 

" Obliging!"  snorted  Mr.  Rankin.  "I  should 
say  he  naturally  was  a  dirty  little  liar!" 

Miss  Jane  was  shocked  into  ramrod  stiffness. 

"Of  course,  of  course,"  Mr.  Rankin  briskly 
apologized,  "I  don't  wish  to  be  offensive,  but  - 
oh,  it's  the  same  old  thing,  Miss  Lane!  Their 
word  's  nothing;  you  can't  trust  'em,  you  can't 
believe  'em,  and  then  you  make  all  this  hulla 
baloo  about  educating  them!  Boo!" 

"It  would  never  occur  to  me  that  the  reasons 
you  give  are  particularly  good  ones  for  not  edu 
cating  them,"  responded  Miss  Jane  icily. 

"Educate  that  young  prevaricator!"  went  on 
Mr.  Rankin,  half  humorously,  half  stormily. 
"Why,  you  can't  believe  a  word  he  says!" 

"And  that,  even  if  it  were  so,  would  argue 
that  he  does  not  need  educating?  It  would 
never  occur  to  me  to  reason  in  that  way."  Miss 
Jane's  words  might  have  been  dropping  in 
little  icy  balls  at  Mr.  Rankin's  feet. 

"Bosh!  Reason!  Education!  He  is  n't 
capable  of  receiving  it.  That  boy,  now!  He 
is  n't  capable  of  receiving  information  of  any 
variety," 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  129 

"On  the  contrary,  Miss  North  says  she  finds 
him  exceptionally  capable." 

"And  who  is  Miss  North,  pray  tell?" 

"Miss  North  is  his  teacher.  She  has  really 
had  more  experience  with  him  than  you  have, 
Mr.  Rankin." 

"She's  welcome  to  it,"  he  grunted. 

"By  the  way,  Ezekiel,"  Miss  Jane  went  on, 
quite  ignoring  petty  retorts,  "isn't  it  almost 
time  for  school?" 

"I  suppose  so,  I  suppose  so,"  agreed  her 
friend.  "Just  observe  how  much  he's  accom 
plished  this  morning,  Miss  Lane!  But  run 
along  to  school,  boy!  Miss  —  Miss  North 's 
waiting  for  you  and  I  'm  glad  to  get  rid  of  you! 
But  remember  that  you  come  back  here  again 
after  school  or  you  '11  hear  from  me!" 

"Yas,  sir,"  assured  Ezekiel  modestly;  "I'se 
gwine  come  right  back  yere  af  school." 

"And,  Ezekiel,"  concluded  Miss  Jane,  bound 
to  have  the  last  word,  "when  you  are  through 
with  Mr.  Ran-kin,  perhaps  there  will  still  be 
time  to  come  to  me." 

"Yas'm,"  came  the  willing  answer,  "I  —  I'll 
come  ter  you,  too,  Miss  Jane!" 

As  he  travelled  on  to  school,  his  small  dusty 


1 30  EZEKIEL 

brown  face  looked  listlessly  irresponsive  and 
passive  until  his  eyes,  wandering  away  down 
the  long  road,  rested  on  one  moving  object 
among  many  others.  Then  his  steps  quick 
ened,  and,  passing  other  children  on  the  road, 
he  came  up  with  hurried,  short  breaths  beside 
Miss  North. 

"I  '11  ca'y  yer  books  fer  you,  Miss  No'th!"  he 
panted,  and  dropped  into  a  slower  walk  beside  her. 

"Oh  —  yes,  thank  you,"  she  said  abstractedly. 
"Just  see  those  lovely  violets  down  there,  Ezekiel. 
I  was  just  thinking  how  neglected  my  own 
garden-bed  at  the  Institute  is.  Don't  you  think 
you  could  come  around  after  school  this  after 
noon  and  weed  it  for  me,  Ezekiel?  It  troubles 
me  to  have  it  so  neglected." 

Ezekiel  looked  up,  momentarily  perplexed,  at 
Miss  North;  his  brown  face  softened  a  shade, 
and  then  his  eyes  dropped. 

"Yas'm,  Miss  No'th,"  he  answered  softly, 
"yas'm;  I  kin  come  'roun'  af  school  --'n'  — 
'n'  weed  it  fer  you!" 

It  had  been  a  long,  bright,  uneventful  day  at 
school,  and  Miss  North  looked  at  her  children 
with  the  satisfied  feeling  of  another  day  done, 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  131 

and  raised  her  hand  to  the  bell.  But  the  door 
opened,  and  her  hand  stopped,  arrested  for  a 
moment,  while  Miss  Jane  walked  into  the  room. 

1  'Oh,  how  do  you  do?"  smiled  Miss  North, 
dropping  her  voice  to  that  lower  note  conven 
tional  between  a  teacher  and  visitor,  as  she 
tapped  the  bell. 

"I  just  want  to  see  Ezekiel  one  moment, " 
explained  Miss  Jane,  coming  nearer,  and  drop 
ping  into  the  lower  note,  too. 

"Will  you  remain  a  moment,  Ezekiel?"  asked 
Miss  North,  and  the  other  children  passed  out. 

He  stood  before  them  waiting,  and  Miss  Jane 
explained : 

"I  find  I  can't  get  home  again  until  after  six, 
Ezekiel;  but  I  want  to  tell  you  just  what  you 
are  to  do  in  the  garden  when  you  get  there. " 

Ezekiel  glanced  a  bit  evasively  at  Miss  North; 
but  she  was  listening  to  something  which 
sounded  like  a  brisk  peremptory  tapping  on 
her  school-room  door,  and  did  not  notice. 

"Come!"  said  Miss  North,  believing  herself 
mistaken,  and  Mr.  Jonas  Rankin  walked  into 
the  room.  Both  Miss  Jane  and  Ezekiel  looked 
momentarily  startled  at  this  new  arrival,  and 
Miss  North,  not  being  actually  acquainted  with 


132  EZEKIEL 

the  gentleman,  looked  at  him  with  an  expression 
of  polite  interrogation. 

"Miss  North?  Yes,  yes,"  he  puffed.  (Eze- 
kiel  concluded  that  Mr.  Rankin  umus'  'a'  been 
a-runnin'.")  "I  'm  Mr.  Rankin.  How  do  you 
do,  Miss  Lane?  I  just  dropped  in  to  leave  a 
message  with  this  —  this  feller  here.  I  was  going 
by,  and  thought  probably  I  'd  just  catch  him." 

Ezekiel  looked  pleasantly  expectant. 

"H'm,  yes;  I  've  got  to  go  out  of  town  for  a 
few  hours,  and  I  sha'n't  be  on  hand  to  tag  you 
round  when  you  come  over  to  finish  up.  He  's 
promised  to  do  some  little  odds  and  ends  for 
me  this  afternoon,"  he  explained  briefly  to  Miss 
North.  "Now,  just  listen,  won't  you,  and  see 
if  you  can't  do  it  just  as  I  tell  you." 

Miss  North  looked  suddenly  down  at  Ezekiel 
and  opened  her  lips  to  say  something  —  and 
changed  her  mind.  Mr.  Rankin  went  on  with 
quick,  concise  explanations: 

"Now,  see  that  you  do  it,  boy!  Will  you?" 
he  concluded,  not  unkindly. 

"Yas,  sir,"  and  Ezekiel' s  look  hovered  in 
some  distress  between  Miss  Jane  and  Miss 
North.  Miss  Jane  glanced  at  her  old  neighbour 
and  felt  a  sudden  warm  glow  of  aggressiveness. 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  133 

"And  you  know  you  are  promised  to  me, 
Ezekiel,  when  you  are  through  with  Mr.  Rankin. 
My  work  must  be  done  before  night,  too." 

Again  Miss  North's  eyes  dropped  quickly  on 
Ezekiel,  and  again  her  lips  opened  in  surprise; 
and  then  again  Miss  North,  still  looking  in 
scrutably  down  at  Ezekiel,  changed  her  mind. 

"He  won't  be  through  at  my  place  before 
dark,  I  'm  afraid,  Miss  Lane,"  went  on  Mr. 
Rankin  briskly;  "but,  if  he  is,  all  right.  Now 
you  understand,  don't  you,  boy?" 

Ezekiel  looked  unhappily  up  at  Miss  North, 
whose  eyes  were  still  resting  on  him  in  silent 
inscrutability,  and  miserably  realized  that  an 
explanation  was  absolutely  called  for. 

"Yas,  sir  —  yas'm  —  yas,  sir-  he  stam 
mered;  "I  reckon  I  —  I'll  be  right  busy  dis 
evenin'."  He  smiled  a  little  wildly,  and  picked 
confusedly  at  one  short  trouser-leg.  "Cuz" 
he  looked  appealingly  at  Miss  North  —  "Cuz  I 
tole  Miss  —  Miss  No'th  —  I  —  I  'se  gwine  do  a 
li'l'  wuk  af  school  —  fer  —  fer  'er,  too!" 

His  three  employers  gazed  down  at  him  for 
a  moment,  and  the  young  employee,  wretched 
with  self-abasement,  made  no  show  of  gazing 
back. 


134  EZEKIEL 

"Well!"  Mr.  Rankin  was  the  first  to  speak. 
"I  wish  you  success!  You  've  engaged  yourself 
to  three  distinct  persons  at  the  same  time.  Oh, 
Lord!  is  n't  that  the  race  all  over?  The  amount 
of  it  '11  be,  he  won't  get  one  thing  done  for  any 
one  of  us  —  not  one  thing!  If  that's  not  the 
truth,  I  've  never  spoken  it.  I  give  up!" 

Mr.  Rankin  wheeled  suddenly  around  and 
departed,  and  Ezekiel  stood  glancing  at  brief 
intervals  at  his  two  remaining  employers. 

"I  'm  afraid  there  is  something  in  it,  Ezekiel," 
began  Miss  Jane  dolorously,  after  the  silence; 
"you  don't  think  what  you  are  saying,  and  you 
make  promises  that  —  that  you  really  can't 
fulfil." 

Ezekiel' s  eyes,  burning  with  consciousness, 
gazed  immovably  down  at  the  floor. 

"I  don't  know  what  to  expect  of  you  in  this 
case,  I  'm  sure.  Of  course,  you  can't  do  all 
that  you  have  promised.  Well,  all  I  can  say 
is  —  I  hope  you  will  do  as  well  as  you  can." 

And,  too  much  burdened  even  to  say  good 
night  to  Miss  North,  Miss  Jane  turned  and 
walked  away,  and  closed  the  door  behind  her. 

The  final  employer  and  employee  stood  alone. 

Ezekiel  was  still  looking  so  hard  at  one  par- 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  135 

ticular  board  in  the  floor  that  he  could  n't  possibly 
look  at  Miss  North,  too;  but  suddenly  he  thought 
he  heard  her  move.  Slowly  he  raised  his  eyes. 
It  was  n't  so  bad,  after  all,  to  be  just  —  just 
alone  with  Miss  North.  He  had  been  left  alone 
with  Miss  North  before. 

"Well,  Ezekiel,"  she  began  calmly,  as  she  sat 
down  at  her  desk,  "it  looks  as  if  you  were  going 
to  have  rather  a  full  evening,  doesn't  it?" 

"Yas'm,"  began  Ezekiel;  but  his  voice  was 
such  a  husky  apology,  it  seemed  better  not  to 
continue. 

Miss  North  leaned  lightly  on  her  arms,  which 
rested  on  her  desk,  her  fingers  clasped. 

"Oh,  Ezekiel!"  she  began  suddenly,  and 
Ezekiel  looked  up  again  with  a  startled  feeling 
of  not  knowing  just  what  she  was  going  to  do. 
Laugh?  No.  "Oh,  Ezekiel,  Ezekiel,  why  do 
you?" 

"/  dunno'm, "  he  murmured  vaguely,  con 
tritely. 

"I  don't  know,  either,  I'm  sure."  And  her 
eyes  stopped  again  on  the  small  brown  face  as 
if  she  were  trying  to  read  through  to  that  strange 
little  bundle  of  shifting  thoughts  and  feelings 
inside. 


136  EZEKIEL 

"Well,  Ezekiel,"  she  finally  went  on,  moving 
quickly  in  her  chair,  as  if  she  were  waking  up 
and  realized  that  there  were  things  to  be  accom 
plished,  "it's  just  this!  Come  right  here,  so 
that  you  can  understand  every  word  I  say." 

Ezekiel  moved  slowly  nearer,  looking  very 
much  as  if  he  were  seeking  protection  from  her 
because  she  frightened  him! 

"Now,  look  at  me  and  listen,"  she  began,  as 
one  small  hand  sought  waver  in  gly  a  fold  in  her 
dress.  "You  have  promised  Mr.  Rankin  that 
you  will  do  what  he  has  told  you  to  do  in  his 
yard  this  afternoon;  you  have  promised  Miss 
Jane  that  you  will  do  what  she  has  told  you  to 
do  in  her  garden;  and  —  I  don't  know  that  you 
have  promised  —  but  you  certainly  have  given 
me  to  understand  that  you  will  also  do  what  I 
asked  you  to  do  in  my  garden.  Now,  Ezekiel, 
if  I  were  you,  I  should  do  all  those  things,  if  it 
took  me  all  night" 

Ezekiel  had  apparently  decided  to  be  only 
frightened. 

"Of  course,  it  won't  take  you  all  night,"  she 
added  more  gently,  looking  at  him;  "of  course, 
if  you  hurry,  and  work  just  as  hard  as  you  can, 
you  will  probably  get  through  with  it  all  - 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  137 

before  supper-time,  won't  you?  You  see,  the 
point  is,  Ezekiel,  you  must  —  not  —  get  into 
the  habit  of  promising  things  you  can't  do." 

"I  — I'se  gwine  do  it  all,  Miss  No'th,"  he 
began,  in  a  small,  far-away  voice;  "I  knowed 
all  de  time  —  I  'se  'blige  do  all  —  all  I  say  I 
would!" 

"Why,  yes,  of  course,  you  're  going  to  do  it 
all,  because  you  said  you  would!  Mr.  Rankin 
said  you  would  n't,  did  n't  he  ?  But  you  will, 
won't  you?  Yes,  yes;  go  on,  Ezekiel,  go  on, 
and  see  how  quickly  you  can  get  it  done!" 

Ezekiel  went  on,  his  eyes  fixed  steadily  on  a 
distant  green  lawn. 

"Co'se,  w'en  I  say  —  I  'se  gwine  do  it  —  w'y, 
co'se  I  is,"  he  ruminated  as  he  ran. 

On  the  green  lawn  by  Mr.  Rankin' s  house,  and 
on  the  more  ragged  brown  lawn  behind  the 
house,  and  in  the  garden-beds  at  the  side  of  the 
house,  things  seemed  to  grow  and  multiply  and 
grow  again  as  he  worked  on.  .  .  ... 

Dusty  and  tired,  he  shuffled  out  of  the  yard 
and  moved  on,  looking  at  the  western  sky,  where 
only  a  few  faint  suggestions  of  the  departing  sun 
remained. 


138  EZEKIEL 

"I  wisht  I  ain'  say  I  'd  do  —  quite  ser  much!" 
he  soliloquized  just  audibly,  and  he  looked  down 
at  the  thick,  small  weeds  in  Miss  Jane's  chry 
santhemum-bed,  "cuz  I--I  ain'  had  no  supper 
-  yit,  'n'  I 'se —  kine  o'  tired,  too!  Seem  like 
I  —  ain'  nuver  been  —  ser  tired  befo'!"  Then 
he  looked  back  at  the  still  more  dimly  streaked 
sky,  and  a  real  fear  took  possession  of  him.  It 
was  growing  dark. 

"I  did  n'  reckon -- 'twas  gwine  tek  me  ser 
long  at  Mr.  Rankin's,"  he  argued  wearily,  "but 
seem  like  it  allays  teks  me  r'al  long  —  ter  do  jes' 
aliT!" 

He  let  himself  drop  gently  down  on  to  the 
soft  earth  and  looked  up  at  the  darkening  sky. 
Already  he  thought  he  saw  a  star  twinkling 
away  up  there  above  him,  and  he  looked  at  it 
steadily,  until,  far  away  on  the  horizon,  some 
thing  else  caught  his  eye.  It  was  an  early-even 
ing  moon  climbing  slowly  up  and  looking  strangely 
round  and  dim  in  the  half  dark. 

"Cert'nly  is  pretty,"  he  soliloquized,  "'n'  I 
jes'  wish  I  could  go  right  ter  sleep,  too.  But  I 
reckon  I  cyan't,  cuz,  I  mus'  git  right  up  'n'  go 
'long  wid  my  wuk  'gin."  He  raised  himself  to 
his  knees,  and  then  he  bent  down  over  the  chry- 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  139 

santhemum  bed.  Suddenly  he  straightened  him 
self  up  and  looked  around  in  a  queer,  dazed  way 
at  numberless  other  beds  around  him. 

"Miss  Jane  did  n' —  didn'  finish  tellm'  me!" 
he  gasped.  "I  wonder  did  she  —  did  she  want 
me  —  ter  weed  de  whul  gyarden!" 

Miss  North  found  it  hard  to  go  to  sleep  that 
night.  Bygone  scenes  of  the  day  persistently 
came  back  to  her.  First  it  was  the  long  road 
and  Ezekiel,  with  her  books  under  his  arm, 
trudging  at  her  side.  "Yas'm —  I  kin  come 
'roun'--af  school,"  his  small  voice  began 
again;  and  then  the  scene  shifted,  and,  standing 
between  Miss  Jane  Lane  and  Mr.  Rankin,  she 
was  again  looking  down  on  Ezekiel.  Pleadingly 
his  eyes  were  seeking  hers  while  she  stood  silent 
between  his  two  other  accusers.  Again  she 
heard  Mr.  Rankin' s  voice  vibrating  coarsely, 
uncompromisingly:  "Oh,  Lord!  isn't  that  the 
race  all  over?  .  .  .  Not  one  thing!  .  .  . 
I  give  up!"  But  he  had  understood  so  well - 
Ezekiel  —  after  she  had  talked  with  him !  He 
would  get  everything  done,  everything  that  he 
had  promised!  And  Mr.  Rankin  should  know 
about  that,  too!  She  hoped  it  had  n't  taken  too 


140  EZEKIEL 

long,  though.  It  did  take  Ezekiel  so  long  — 
sometimes.  Her  eyes  closed  sleepily.  He  did  n't 
really  seem  to  understand  —  very  well  —  about 
work.  She  turned  over  with*  her  face  to  the 
light,  and  her  eyes  opened  and  closed  again. 

How  long  afterward  it  was  that  the  moon- 
flooded  room  faded  into  nothingness  far  below 
her  she  could  n't  have  told.  She  was  poised 
above  the  world.  She  was  getting  a  bird's-eye 
view  of  the  world.  The  fact  that  it  was  round 
was  of  little  importance.  She  could  see  it  all, 
and  there  was  only  one  thing  which  she  saw  that 
she  did  not  understand.  It  was  a  wheel  —  an 
enormous  great  wheel  that  seemed  to  encompass 
all  the  zones.  But  she  did  not  understand,  and 
her  eyes  wandered  away,  curiously  seeking 
distant  countries,  until,  by  some  strange  fasci 
nation,  they  stopped,  gazing  wonderingly  at  one. 
Dark-skinned  children  were  moving  on  it,  shifting 
gently  in  endless  numbers  before  her  eyes.  The 
sun  warmed  them  and  they  lay  down  in  it  and 
slept,  the  tropical  growth  everywhere  fed  them, 
and  they  waked  up  and  ate  and  then  wandered  on 
again,  not  thinking  of  the  next  day,  knowing  that 
the  sun  was  always  there  and  the  tropical  growth. 

But    suddenly  the   great  encompassing  wheel 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  141 

began  to  move.  It  caught  them  up  one  by  one 
from  their  tropical  country  and  carried  them 
whirling  on  and  on  and  on  —  around  the  world. 
Then  it  stopped,  and  one  by  one,  as  it  had  snatched 
them  up,  it  shook  them  off.  And  with  a  for 
bidding  wind  blowing  in  their  faces,  they  looked, 
dazed,  around  an  unknown  country  on  an  un 
known  people  who  had  keen  fighting  with  the 

elements  since  time  began 

"It  wasn't  fair  to  make  them  start  so  far 
behind!"  she  said  aloud  in  her  sleep,  and  then 
she  sat  up  in  bed  and  looked  around  the  bright 
room.  The  light  was  so  vivid  that  she  got  up 
to  draw  her  curtain  and  stopped  at  the  window 
a  moment,  looking  down.  Suddenly  a  sharp 
sound  caught  in  her  throat,  and  she  leaned  over 
the  window-sill  peering  through  the  brightness. 
Below  her,  huddled  over  a  violet  bed;  a  little 
figure  crouched  close  to  the  ground,  while  with 
slow,  weary,  machine-like  movements,  a  hand 
still  fumbled  among  the  violets  and  pulled  up 
weeds  in  the  moonlight.  There  was  a  cold, 
sharp  wind  blowing  from  the  water,  and  she 
saw  him  stop  and  put  both  his  hands  together 
and  blow  on  them.  She  tried  to  shake  off  the 
spell  of  her  dream  which  still  held  her  with  its 


142  EZEKIEL 

gentle  sun-warmed  breezes  and  its  luxurious 
growth  and  its  dark-skinned  —  the  small  figure 
below  blotted  it  out.  He  was  wrapping  both 
his  arms  around  him  for  warmth  and  blowing 
again  on  his  little  cold  hands.  As  he  did  so  she 
saw  him  lean  wearily  forward.  Then,  slowly, 
he  pulled  himself  back  and  fumblingly  began 
pulling  again  at  the  weeds. 

"Ezekiel!"  she  called,  in  a  quick,  sharp 
whisper,  but  he  did  not  hear. 

With  rapid  movements  she  began  to  dress. 
Through  the  long,  dim  corridors  she  made  her 
way  downstairs,  out,  down  the  path,  until  she 
stood  beside  the  violet  bed. 

"Ezekiel!  Ezekiel!"  she  began,  putting  out 
her  hand  unsteadily. 

He  turned  quickly,  and  looked  up  at  her  with 
tired,  frightened  eyes. 

"I  'se  a-doin'  it,  Miss  No'th!"  he  began,  almost 
in  a  sob,  "I  'se  a-doin'  it  —  jes'  de  way  I  say  I 
would !  Only  —  Miss  Jane's  gyarden  wuz  —  ser 
b-big!  'N'  I 'se  been  a-wukkin' -- right  smart 
'long!'7  With  an  effort  he  shifted  his  sore  aching 
knees  and  slid  wearily  down  to  the  cold  earth. 

Miss  North,  with  a  bitter,  accusing  conscience, 
bent  over  him. 


EZEKIEL  PROMISES  143 

"Oh,  my  child,  my  poor  little  boy!  Ezekiel! 
What  have  you  been  trying  to  do?  What  have 
you  —  Ezekiel?  Don't  you  hear  me?  You 
must  get  up;  you  are  cold  and  —  and  sick!  Oh, 
what  have  I  done?"  she  mumbled. 

He  dragged  himself  to  his  feet  and  held  on 
loosely  by  one  of  her  shoulders. 

"No'm,  I  ain'  sick  —  Miss  No'th,"  he  assured 
her  faintly,  "V  I  reckon  I  kin  git  it  —  all  done 
-only  yer  mus'  gib  me  — jes'  a  liT  mo'  time!" 
He  turned  mechanically  again  to  the  weeds. 

"No,  Ezekiel,  no!  I  didn't  mean  that! 
You  must  get  to  —  somewhere  to  bed.  I  did  n't 
mean  that  you  were  to  stay  out  like  this  —  Eze 
kiel,  I  didn't  mean  like  this!  Come  with  me! 
Miss  Jane  wants  to  see  you  —  Miss  Jane  wants 
to  see  you  now!" 

"Mr.  Rankin  '11  say  —  I  did  n't  git  it  —  done. 
'N'  I  ain't,  is  I  ?    I  ain'  did  w'at  I  —  say  I  would, 
Miss  No'th  —  is  I  ?     But  I  reckon  I  kin  —  too 
-  ef  yer  kin  only  jes'  gib  me  —  a  liT   mo'  - 
time!" 

"No,    you    did  n't  —  you    did  n't,"    she    mut 
tered.     "Mr.   Rankin  —  never  mind  —  oh,   I  'm 
glad    you    did  n't,    Ezekiel  —  /  'm    glad    you  - 
didn't  get  it  done!" 


144  EZEKIEL 

He  put  his  hand  passively  in  hers  and  unre 
sistingly  followed  her  as  she  led  him  to  Miss 
Jane's  door. 

Again  Miss  North  tried  vainly  to  go  to  sleep. 
But  the  light  streaked  in  around  the  window 
curtain,  and  dreams  and  realities  stood  out  haunt- 
ingly  before  her.  Now  it  was  the  revolving, 
encompassing  wheel  snatching  up  the  children 
of  the  tropics  and  dropping  them  again  in  another 
land.  Then  it  was  Mr.  Jonas  Rankin  standing 
by  in  hard,  stern  criticism.  Then  it  was  the 
pleading,  trembling  little  voice  of  one  of  the 
least  of  the  dark-skinned  children,  weakly, 
haltingly  pushing  on  while  a  proud  procession 
of  centuries  looked  back  at  him,  looked  back 
with  distant,  mocking  pride  and  then  marched 
on  again  in  stately  procession. 

"  Yer  mus'  gib  me  —  jes'  a  li'P  mo'  -  -  time!" 
came  the  faint,  small  voice  again,  "cuz  I  —  I 
reckon  I  kin  do  it  —  ef  yer  '11  gib  me  —  jes'  a 
HT  mo' --time!" 

"Oh,  Lord  above  us,  what  brutes  we  are!" 
she  muttered.  "Forgive  it,  forgive  it,  Ezekiel! 
We  don't  know  what  we  do." 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY 


EZEKIEL    AND   TRUSTY 


VIII 

IN    CHARGE    OF    TRUSTY 

THERE  was  a  dramatic  arrival  at  the 
Whittier  School  one  Monday  morning. 
The  children  were  gathered  in  their  class 
rooms,  looking  particularly  good  and  hopeful  just 
after  their  morning  exercises,  and  Miss  Doane 
was  on  the  platform  in  the  Assembly  Room, 
when  she  became  aware  of  a  slight  confusion 
in  the  outside  hall.  But,  since  visitors  of  distinc 
tion  always  came  in  from  that  particular  hall, 
Miss  Doane  merely  waited  for  whatever  special 
form  of  distinction  this  might  be.  There  was 
a  thump  on  the  door,  and  then,  after  some  slight 
parleying,  and  continued  confusion  on  the  other 
side,  it  opened  and  two  visitors  made  their 
entrance.  One  was  a  very  large  and  rather 
ancient-looking  coloured  man,  the  other  was  a 
very  small  coloured  boy.  They  both  looked  some 
what  spent  and  breathless,  and  when  the  man 
had  deposited  the  boy  before  him,  with  a  threat 
ening  wave  of  the  stick,  he  took  out  a  large 

147 


148  EZEKIEL 

bandana  and  wiped  the  sweat  of  honest  toil  from 
his  brow.  Miss  Doane,  somewhat  uneasy, 
approached  her  visitor. 

"Yer  see,  Miss,"  he  explained,  with  a  ges 
ture  of  triumph  toward  the  small  heap  on  the 
floor,  "he's  ser  bad,  I 'se  jes'  'blige  whup  'im 
all  de  way  ter  school  ter  git  'im  yere  fer  sho!" 

Miss  Doane  made  some  response  to  the  effect 
that  it  certainly  was  an  unusual  way  of  making 
sure  that  a  child  came  to  school,  to  which  he 
joined  in: 

"Ya'as,  Miss,  ya-as,  Miss!  Cert'nly  is  so! 
Jes'  'blige  drap  all  my  wuk  'n'  run  'im  clean 
yere.  Now,  ain't  yer  'shame,  boy,  fer  de  lady 
ter  see  yer  ser  bad  'n'  hard-haided  ?" 

He  was  not  too  ashamed  to  grumble  out  an 
unintelligible  answer;  but  he  looked  quite  dis 
gusted  with  life  in  general,  and  twisted  his  head 
around  in  all  sorts  of  directions,  and  sniffed, 
and  rubbed  his  coat-sleeve  across  his  face,  and 
appeared  generally  ill  at  ease. 

"What  is  his  name?"  questioned  Miss  Doane. 

"  Trusty  --  Trusty  'is  name,"  explained  the 
parent.  "Trusty  Miles.  W'y  doan't  yer  speak 
up,  boy,  'n'  tell  de  lady  yer  name?" 

Trusty  grunted. 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  149 

"He  doesn't  seem  very  glad  to  be  here/* 
suggested  Miss  Doane  mildly. 

"No,  Miss,  dat  's  de  trufe,"  agreed  the  parent 
cordially,  "dat 's  de  trufe!  Yer  see,  he  ain't 
r'ally  used  ter  w'ite  folks'  school,  'counten  allays 
gwine  ter  Miss  Pauline  Smiff's.  Yas'm.  He 
ain't  r'ally  used  ter  w'ite  folks,  'n'  he  jes'  seem  ter 
natchelly  balk  at  de  idea  fum  de  fus'." 

"I  see,"  returned  Miss  Doane  modestly,  pro 
ducing  a  reader  by  way  of  tactful  diversion. 

Miss  Pauline  Smith's  ex-pupil  looked  at  it 
a  bit  askance,  and  Miss  Doane  proceeded  in  a 
somewhat  harrowing  attempt  to  discover  and 
lay  bare  anything  in  the  least  suggestive  of 
knowledge  —  as  such.  . 

"I  see,"  she  concluded  finally,  when  there 
was  positively  nothing  more  left  to  discover; 
"I  see.  Will  you  follow  me,  please?" 

With  unexpected  docility,  Trusty  turned  and, 
with  his  eyes  fixed  on  a  closed  door  toward 
which  Miss  Doane  led  the  way,  followed,  he 
knew  not  where. 

"Miss  North,"  began  Miss  Doane,  when  the 
door  had  opened  and  closed  again,  "Miss  North, 
I  have  a  new  pupil  for  you." 

Miss  North  tried  to  look  as  if  this  were    the 


150  EZEKIEL 

most  unexpected  bit  of  good  fortune  which 
could  possibly  come  to  her,  and  glanced  around 
for  an  appropriate  seat.  The  children  looked 
pleased  at  the  slight  diversion,  and  Ezekiel, 
sitting  in  a  corner  seat  of  the  front  row,  looked 
both  pleased  and  intelligent. 

"Dat  's  Trusty,"  he  began  smilingly,  in  a  low 
voice  to  Miss  North,  "dat  's  Trusty  Miles,  Miss 
No'th;"  and,  feeling  the  cheerful  superiority 
of  former  acquaintance,  he  beamed  delightedly 
on  Trusty. 

"Yes;  and  I  think  you  may  sit  right  here," 
explained  Miss  North,  after  brief  consideration. 

In  lack  of  anything  else  to  do,  Trusty  accepted 
the  offered  seat. 

"And  now,"  continued  Miss  North,  when 
the  children  had  once  more  settled  them 
selves  and  Miss  Doane  had  gone  back  to  her 
waiting  visitor,  "we  will  go  on  with  the  lesson. 
Yes,  we  had  just  decided  that  we  all  had 
bodies ." 

Ezekiel  glanced  at  the  new  pupil,  who  seemed 
to  be  somewhat  taken  by  surprise  at  this  unex 
pected  development,  and  was  looking  curiously 
around  the  room  with  evident  hope  of  disputing 
the  statement. 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  151 

"Yes,  that  is  true,  is  it  not,  that  we  all  have 
bodies?" 

They  all  looked  around  rather  doubtfully,  as 
if  they  did  not  feel  quite  so  sure  on  this  point; 
but,  as  no  disembodied  spirit  spoke  up  in  denial 
of  the  assertion,  it  was  gradually  accepted. 

"Yes;  and  these  bodies  have  a  great  many 
different  parts,  haven't  they?" 

"Yas'm,"  came  rather  faintly. 

"Why,  yes,  indeed,"  went  on  Miss  North, 
quite  gaily,  "a  great  many  different  parts.  Now, 
what  are  some  of  these  parts,  children?  Who 
can  think?" 

There  was  a  moment  of  tremendous  concen 
tration,  and  then  a  dozen  hands  went  up. 

"WTell,  Alphonso  Jones  —  and  make  a  nice 
sentence,  Alphonso." 

"Yer  haid  is  part  uv  yer  body,"  stated 
Alphonso,  as  though  he  were  not  in  the  habit 
of  being  contradicted. 

"Yes,  very  true.  Your  head  is  part  of  your 
body.  And  now,  as  different  parts  of  the  head, 
we  have  -  putting  her  fingers  suggestively 

to  her  ears  - 

"Ears!"  shouted  a  tremendous  chorus. 

"Yes;   and-  closing   her   eyes   and   just 


152  EZEKIEL 

touching  the  lids  lightly,  as  the  most  delicate 
hint  possible  - 

"Eyes!"  shouted  a  yet  more  tremendous 
chorus. 

"Yes;  and  now,  since  the  eyes  are  such  a  very 
important  part  of  the  head,  let  us  think  how  we 
can  take  very  good  care  of  the  eyes." 

This  sounded  rather  complicated,  and  there 
was  another  moment  of  awful  concentration. 
Even  Trusty  appeared  to  be  thinking  warmly 
on  the  subject. 

"Well,  Ezekiel,  what  do  you  say?" 

"Not  pick  no  holes  in  'em  wid  no  pin,"  sugges 
ted  Ezekiel  pleasantly. 

"Why,  Ezekiel,  certainly  not!  Of  course  we 
should  n't  want  to  pick  holes  in  them  with  a  pin; 
but  — well,  what  do  you  say,  Tommy?" 

"Not  pick  no  holes  in  'em  wid  no  needle!" 
explained  Tommy,  his  face  all  aglow  with 
enthusiasm. 

"Why,  no,  indeed!  Of  course  not  —  why, 
of  course  not.  But  that  is  n't  just  what  I  mean, 
because  of  course  you  would  never  think  of 
doing  that  anyway,  would  you,  Tommy?" 

Hands  were  waving  madly  in  all  directions 
now;  but  when  young  Charles  Sumner  Scott 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  153 

raised  his  with  its  usual  effect  of  poise  and  pre 
cision,  Miss  North  considered  the  situation 
saved.  Charles  usually  saved  the  situation. 

"How  must  we  treat  the  eyes  if  we  want  to 
keep  them  nice  and  strong,  Charles?" 

"Not  pick  no  holes  in  'em  wid  no  Aa/-pin!" 
announced  Charles. 

"Hands  down!"  ordered  Miss  North. 

Hands  down,  indeed! 

"Hezzy  Cones,  did  you  hear  what  I  said?" 

"Yath'm!  Not  pick  no  holthe  in  'em  wid  no 
hair-pinl"  shouted  Hezzy,  not  to  be  walked 
over  so  easily,  and  jubilant  at  this  slight 
variation. 

The  new  pupil  had  waked  up,  too. 

"Not  pick  no  holes  in  'em  wid  no  knittin1- 
needle!"  he  sang  loudly,  in  a  perfect  burst  of 
inspiration. 

This  was  a  stroke  of  genius,  and  they  all  looked 
around  on  the  new-comer  admiringly,  and  looked 
a  little  doubtful,  for  a  moment,  as  to  whether 
anything  more  could  be  said  on  the  subject. 

Ezekiel  fairly  radiated  at  his  friend's  success. 

"Now,  wait,  children!"  said  Miss  North,  with 
emphasis  amounting  almost  to  severity.  "Our 
answers  are  getting  wild.  Very  wild.  And  I 


154  EZEKIEL 

do  not  wish  to  hear  anything  more  about  pins 
or  needles  or  hat- pins  or  knitting-needles.  I 
should  like  to  see  you  all  very  straight  in  your 
seats." 

There  was  a  tremendous  effort  at  straight 
ening  up,  whereupon  Miss  North  proceeded 
to  make  a  few  valuable  suggestions  in  regard 
to  the  treatment  of  the  eyes. 

"Now,"  said  Miss  North,  as  if  she  were  pro 
pounding  a  theory  of  rare  and  striking  originality, 
"who  can  tell  me  another  part  of  the  body?" 

The  pause  was  long;  they  were  evidently 
feeling  somewhat  sore  over  their  last  setback. 

"Well?"  encouraged  Miss  North. 

"Yer  laigs,"  mumbled  a  stuffy  voice  from 
the  back  of  the  room. 

"Yes,  your  legs,  Samuel;  that  is  quite  right. 
And  perhaps  you  can  tell  me  what  your  legs 
are  for,  Samuel.  But  wait;  we  will  think  before 
answering." 

"Ter  se'  down  with,"  answered  Samuel 
comfortably. 

"No,  Samuel;  you  evidently  did  not  think; 
they  are  for  nothing  of  the  kind,"  returned 
Miss  North  shortly. 

Trusty's  hand  was  waving  with  unmistakable 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  155 

interest.     Miss  North  was  painfully  aware  that 
he  must  be  encouraged. 

"Well,  Trusty,"  she  ventured,  "what  are  your 
legs  for?" 

"Ter  hole  yer  feet  on!"  shouted  Trusty,  in 
a  perfect  spasm  of  joyous  interest. 

Miss  North  essayed  to  collect  her  thoughts. 

"Well,  hardly,  hardly  for  —  that  alone,  are 
they,  Trusty  ?  Tell  me  what  else  they  are  for." 

But  Trusty  failed  to  find  any  other  use  to 
which  he  could  put  the  legs,  and  Miss  North 
again  took  the  floor;  whereupon  Trusty's  inter 
est  immediately  subsided. 

Later    on    she    attempted,    somewhat     cau 
tiously,   to  draw  him  out  once  more;  but  the 
day  went  on,   and  not  once  again  did  Trusty 
deign  to  come  to  the  front. 

The  next  morning  Miss  Doane  was  at  school 
early.  She  had  been  working  for  some  moments 
at  her  desk  in  the  Assembly  Room,  when  she 
became  aware  that  again  an  unusual  sort  of 
demonstration  was  taking  place  in  the  out 
side  hall.  To  the  hall  Miss  Doane  went;  and 
there,  once  more,  she  was  met  by  the  large  col 
oured  man  and  the  small  coloured  boy. 


156  EZEKIEL 

"Jes''blige  ter  'ply  de  same  kine  o'  coaxing 
Miss!  Whup  'im  all  de  way  yere!  Ain't  I, 
Trusty?" 

Poor  Trusty  appeared  almost  too  spent  even 
to  reply;  and  Miss  Doane  looked  at  him  and 
suggested  that  he  go  to  his  seat  and  rest. 

"M-m-m  —  ain'  gwine  no  seat  'n'  res'!"  he 
growled. 

His  father  intervened:  "Yer  see,  Miss?  Yer 
see?  He  's  de  hard-haidedes'  chile  I  'se  got,  'n' 
dat  's  de  trufe.  Come  'long,  now,  boy;  jes' 
come  'long  now!"  And,  without  ceremony, 
Trusty  was  lifted  with  a  firm  hand  and  trans 
ported  through  the  Assembly  Room  to  his  seat, 
where  he  was  deposited  with  a  thump. 

Miss  North  looked  up  in  mild  surprise. 

"Why,  Trusty!     Good -morning!" 

Trusty's  response  was  a  thing  of  conjecture. 

"And  so  you  are  back  at  school  again;  and 
are  n't  you  glad,  after  all,  to  come  back  to  this 
nice  school?" 

"M-m-m  —  school  nuthin'!"  was  the  some 
what  ungracious  response. 

"Yer '11  fine  'im  mighty  wearysome,  I  'spec', 
Miss,"  put  in  the  parent.  "But  whup  'im! 
Dat 's  all  I  kin  say.  Whup  'im  all  de  time; 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  157 

an'   me   'n'    'Mandy  '11   wuk  on   'im  nights   V 


mawnin's." 


Miss  North  looked  at  the  diminutive  object 
but  half  filling  his  seat,  and  caught  her  breath. 

Another  day  of  alternate  gloom  and  occa 
sional  spasmodic  interest  on  Trusty's  part, 
another  day  of  doubts  and  fears  in  his  behalf  on 
the  part  of  Miss  North. 

That  night,  just  as  he  was  about  to  scuffle 
disconsolately  behind  the  others  from  the  room, 
picturing,  no  doubt,  some  of  the  joys  which 
were  awaiting  him  at  home,  she  called  him  back. 
Ezekiel  stood  by  her  desk,  wondering  why  she 
had  called  him,  too. 

"Trusty,"  she  began,  "  would  n't  you  like 
to  come  to  school  to-morrow  morning  with 
Ezekiel?" 

Trusty  looked  up  doubtfully,  and  Ezekiel 
looked  up,  not  just  comprehending. 

"You  live  near  each  other,  don't  you?" 

"No'm."  Ezekiel's  tone  wavered  anxiously. 
"No'm,  we  don't  live  nare  each  udder,  Miss 
No'th;  Trusty  he  live  clare  way  down  de  road." 

He  stopped,  meditating;  then  his  face  seemed 
to  clear  somewhat  of  its  burden  of  thought. 
"But  I  reckon  —  I  kin  git  'im  yere,  ef  yer  wants, 


158  EZEKIEL 

Miss  No'th;  yas'm,  I  —  I  kin  git  'im  yere,  ef 
yer  wants,  cuz  I  kin  go  af  'im  'n'  git  'im!  Yas'm, 
I  kin  ca'y  'im  ter  school,  Miss  No'th!" 

Trusty  looked  a  bit  doubtful  as  to  whether 
he  should  entirely  fall  in  with  the  plan,  and 
Miss  North  made  haste  to  readjust  herself. 

"No'm,  'tain'  no  trouble,  Miss  No'th;  no'm. 
I  kin  ca'y  'im  ter  school  ter-morrer,  cyan't  I 
Trusty?" 

Trusty  still  appeared  to  be  doubting  heavily; 
but  Ezekiel's  assurances  continued  to  ring 
warmly,  as  they  moved  on  toward  the  door  and 
disappeared  into  the  hall. 

It  was  still  early  the  next  morning  when  Miss 
North  worked  alone  in  the  school-room.  Slowly 
the  door  opened.  Slowly  two  small  figures 
pushed  their  way  awkwardly  into  the  room. 
Miss  North  looked  up. 

"Why,  Ezekiel!    And  Trusty!" 

They  came  in  softly,  hand  in  hand,  and  sjtood 
before  her  desk,  Trusty  passive,  Ezekiel  glowing 
shyly  with  pride  and  pleasure. 

"Hyeah's  Trusty,  Miss  No'th,"  he  explained 
briefly. 

"I   see.     Why,    how  —  how   very   nice!    And 


I    KIN    GIT    'ill    YERE,    EF    YER    WANTS " 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  159 

so  nice  and  early.  Why,  Trusty,  are  n't  you 
glad  you  could  get  here  so  early?" 

Trusty  seemed  hardly  ready  to  commit  him 
self  just  yet,  but  began  to  look  shyly  pleased,  too. 
Ezekiel,  still  holding  him  by  the  hand,  looked 
down  protectingly. 

"Yas'm,  he  —  he  likes  ter  git  yere  early; 
doan't  yer,  Trusty?" 

"Yes,  I  'm  sure  he  does,"  assured  Miss  North. 
"And  now,  perhaps,  he  would  like  to  help 
by  getting  some  of  the  dust  out  of  these 
erasers;  they  aren't  very  clean  this  morning.", 

His  eyes  brightened.     "Yas'm!" 

The  two  came  back  looking  as  if  they  had 
been  temporarily  detained  in  a  flour-barrel. 

"Why,  yes,  those  are  very  clean;  but  you 
seem  to  be  just  a  little  dusty  yourselves,  are  n't 
you?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Trusty,  while  Ezekiel 
brushed  him  with  doubtful  success.  "Kin  ole 
Sam' el  Smiff  dus'  em?" 

" Samuel  Smith?  I  don't  think  Samuel  ever 
did  dust  them  -  — " 

"Cuz  me  'n'  'Zekiel  kin  dus'  'em  good  's  dat 
'mos'  any  time;  cyan't  we,  'Zekiel?" 

By  the  time  that  school  was  ready  to  begin 


160  EZEKIEL 

that  morning,  there  stood  a  stately  line  of  "  vis 
itors  from  the  North"  across  Miss  North's  room, 
ready  for  enlightenment  on  the  Negro  Prob 
lem.  And  as  Miss  North  began:  "We  are 
having  a  new  month  to-day,  children;  who  can 
tell  me  what  the  name  of  the  month  is?"  the 
line  drew  itself  up,  preparatory  to  getting  right 
down  to  the  heart  of  the  matter. 

"What  month,  class?" 

"  February!" 

"Yes;  very  good.  Is  February  a  short  month 
or  a  long  month?" 

There  was  an  unfortunate  difference  of  opinion. 

"Short!"  "Long!"  "Short!"  "Long!" 
11  Short!  "  "Long!  " 

"Very  well,"  joined  in  Miss  North,  ready  to 
agree  to  anything.  "What  do  you  say  about 
it,  Archelus?" 

"Li'F  teeny  bit  uv  a  short  month,"  explained 
Archelus.  "Ain'  no  longer  'n  - 

As  Archelus  was  about  to  illustrate  the  length 
of  February  with  his  two  small  hands,  Miss 
North  waived  any  further  information  on  the 
subject,  and  went  on: 

"Yes,  a  short  month.  And  who  can  tell  me 
what  holiday  we  have  in  this  month?" 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  161 

There  were  two  or  three  who  promptly  arrived 
at  conclusions.  The  visitors  were  smiling  wide 
smiles  of  appreciation. 

"  Lemuel?" 

"Chris'mas!" 

"Oh,  no;  we  have  just  had  Christmas. 
Samuel." 

"ThanksgivinM" 

"Why,  no,  indeed,  Samuel;  you  are  not  think 
ing.  William?" 

"Washington's  Birthday!" 

One  of  the  visitors,  a  rosy-cheeked  gentleman 
with  white  hair,  gave  such  a  loud  grunt  of  appre 
ciation  at  this  that  Miss  North  glanced  his  way. 

"Can  he  tell  us  anything  about  George  Wash 
ington?"  he  questioned  smilingly,  in  response 
to  Miss  North's  glance. 

"Oh,  I  think  so.  Who  can  tell  me  some 
one  thing  about  George  Washington  children? 
Hands,  please." 

"That  little  boy,"  smiled  the  rosy-cheeked 
gentleman;  "he  seems  to  be  getting  so  very 
much  interested!" 

Heavens!  it  was  Trusty  who  was  getting  inter 
ested.  Miss  North  glanced  at  his  face,  which 
radiated  with  delighted  intelligence  as  he  fixed 


162  EZEKIEL 

his   eyes   on   the   closed    coat-closet,   and   felt   a 
chilling  and  definite  foreboding. 

"H-m  —  yes,"    she  went  on   evasively,    "yes. 
Ezekiel,  can  you  tell  us  —  something  about  - 
what  was   the   matter?     Had   Ezekiel   forgotten 
how  to  talk?     To  be  sure!     His  eyes,  kindling 
with  interest  and  pride,  were  fixed  on  his  friend. 

"No,  no!  This  one,"  explained  the  rosy- 
cheeked  gentleman,  his  eyes  still  resting  smil 
ingly  on  Trusty.  "Well,  what  do  you  know 
about  George  Washington,  little  fellow?" 

"Miss  No'th  got  'im  shet  up  in  de  coat-dosel!" 

The  rosy-cheeked  gentleman  stepped  back  a 
bit,  and  there  was  suddenly  a  rather  startled 
expression  on  the  part  of  the  visitors  from  the 
North.  Somewhat  furtively  they  glanced  at  the 
coat-closet,  apparently  expecting  to  see  the  immor 
tal  George  emerge  in  person  at  any  moment. 
Miss  North  coughed  slightly,  and  looked  as  if 
she  had  known  happier  times. 

"You  may  be  seated,  Trusty." 

"She  shet  'im  in  dere  fer  imperdence!" 
explained  Trusty. 

But  just  then  the  door  creaked  softly,  and 
from  the  unknown  depths  of  the  coat-closet 
a  little  figure  peered  anxiously. 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  163 

"Mith  No'th!     Kin  I  come  out  now?" 

Miss  North  looked  at  the  small  figure,  and 
then  at  the  visitors  from  the  North,  whereupon 
they  all  looked  at  her;  and  then  suddenly  the 
rosy-cheeked  gentleman  burst  out  into  such 
unchecked,  joyous  laughter  that  the  others  all 
joined  in,  and  the  visitors  from  the  North 
moved  on. 

At  the  same  time,  there  was  a  thump  on  the 
door  which  opened  from  the  back  hall,  and  a 
large  and  ancient  coloured  man  advanced  into 
the  room. 

"Mawnin',  Miss,  mawninM"  he  began  in 
loud,  cheerful  tones.  "'Scusin'  de  privilege  o' 
de  interruption,  I  'se  'blige  ax  yer  kin  I  borry 
Trusty  fer  a  HT  w'ile,  'spesh'ly  fer  de  'casion?" 

Just  what  the  occasion  was  he  did  not  explain; 
but  Trusty,  possibly  receiving  suggestive  glim 
mers  of  inward  light  on  the  subject,  and  being 
at  this  particular  moment  otherwise  interested, 
began  to  show  evidence  of  unexpected 
combativeness. 

"M-m-m —  I  ain'  gwine  be  'scuse  fer  no 
'casion,"  he  mumbled  cantankerously. 

"Come,  now,  boy,  ya-as  yer  is,  too!"  dis 
agreed  the  parent,  advancing  toward  the  sub- 


1 64  EZEKIEL 

ject  of  complication.  "Yer  see,  Miss!  Ain't 
I  tole  yer  he's  de  hard-haidedes'  chile?  Fus' 
I  'se  'blige  whup  'im  school,  'n'  nex'  I  cyan' 
git  'im  'way  ter  bless  me!  Ain't  I  jes'  tole  yer!" 
And  again,  with  a  firm  hand,  Trusty  was  lifted 
and  transported  across  the  room  to  the  open 
door.  Miss  North  hastily  suggested  the  final 
formalities  requisite  for  an  excuse,  but  her  voice 
was  quite  lost  among  the  reverberations  of  a 
more  powerful  organ: 

"Ain't  I  jes' tole  yer  so!  Ya-as,  yer  is,  too! 
Ain't  I  jes' tole  yer!  Come  'long,  now;  jes' come 
'long,  now!" 

They  disappeared  through  the  doorway,  and 
then  only  the  final  reverberations  came  back  to 
them  as  Trusty  was  triumphantly  exhorted  on 
his  way. 

But  the  worst  of  vicissitudes,  and  the  best  of 
them,  only  wait  to  give  place  to  new  ones,  and 
the  old  days  change  to  new  ones  and  the  weeks 
and  the  months  go  on;  and,  as  the  oft-repeated 
act  becomes  a  habit,  so  it  had  finally  become  an 
unvarying  habit  for  Ezekiel  to  arrive  at  school 
with  Trusty's  hand  held  loosely  in  his  own,  while 
Trusty  himself  plodded  unresistingly  at  his  side. 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  165 

But  occasionally  there  comes  a  time,  too, 
when  the  habitual  thing  fails  to  happen. 

It  was  one  morning  toward  the  end  of  May. 
Miss  North  had  glanced  at  the  clock,  which 
hovered  close  to  nine,  and  then  she  had  glanced 
around  the  room  at  several  waiting  children, 
and  into  the  yard,  which  was  filling  rapidly, 
and  wondered,  half  passively,  why  Ezekiel  and 
Trusty  had  not  come.  In  a  quickly  changing, 
drifting  undercurrent  of  thought,  she  remem 
bered  their  first  arrival  together  —  just  how 
they  had  looked  as  they  stood,  hand  in  hand, 
before  her  desk.  Again,  she  remembered  Trusty 
as  he  had  looked  that  first  day,  just  after  his 
arrival,  first  sullenly  rebelling,  and  then  vibra 
ting,  as  it  were,  between  a  state  of  absolute 
indifference  and  one  of  suddenly  aroused  interest. 
Strange,  how  it  had  grown  to  be  a  regular  thing 
for  Trusty  to  be  "  interested" !  She  glanced 
around  the  room  and  out  to  the  yard  again,  and 
wondered  why  they  did  n't  come;  and  when  one 
of  the  children  came  in  from  outside  with  an 
excited  story  of  "ole  Trusty  racin'  down  de  road, 
'n'  'is  father  after  'im,"  she  listened. 

"Ole  man  Miles  say  Trusty  he  cyan'  come 
school  dis  yere  day,  'n'  Trusty  say  he  is,  'n' 


i66  EZEKIEL 

'Zekiel  say  he  is,  too,  V  ole  man  say  he  ain't, 
'n'  Trusty  'n'  'Zekiel  say  he  is,  'n'  start  off  down 
de  road  jes'  a-runnin'!  'N'  ole  man  af  'em 
clean  all  de  way  yere!" 

A  moment  after  this  enthusiastic  announce 
ment,  the  school-room  door  burst  open,  and 
Ezekiel  came  lurching  into  the  room,  half  carry 
ing,  half  dragging  Trusty,  who  was  spattered 
with  mud  and  dirt  from  head  to  foot. 

"Miss  No'thl  He  say  he  cyan'  come!"  cried 
Ezekiel.  "  He  —  he  say  —  he  cyan1  come  —  no 
mo'!"  He  stumbled  against  her  desk,  and  Trusty 
dropped  limply  down  before  him,  feebly  snatch 
ing  at  Miss  North's  skirts. 

"  He  —  he  —  say  —  I  cyan' —  come  —  no  mo' !" 
he  whispered  in  a  faint,  panting  echo. 

Ezekiel    dropped    heavily    against    the    desk, 
his  breath  catching  convulsively  in  his  throat. 
"He  —  he  lock  'im  up  so  he  cyan'  come  ter  - 
ter   school!"   he   choked.     " But  —  T-Trusty  he 
say  he  —  he  is,  'n'  he  keep  on  tellin'  'im  he  - 
is  —  'n'    he    is!     'N'  -  -  he    jes'  say  —  he    cyan' 
come  —  no  —  mo' !"     His    head    bumped    down 
between   his   arms,    and   he   waited,   his   breath 
still   catching   in   his   throat.     "'N'    I  — I   tells 
'im   he  —  he's    'blige    ter   come!     But    'tain'- 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY          167 

no  -  -  use ;  he  —  he  —  jes'  lock  de  do' !  'N'  — 
we  jumps  outen  de  winder,  'n'  he  cotch  T-Trusty 
'n'  lock  'im  up  'gin  -  - 'n' -  -  he  jumps  outen 
'gin  —  cuz  he  keeps  on  tellin'  'im  he  —  he  's  - 
'b-blige  ter  come  ter  —  ter  school!  He  —  he 
tells  'im  he's  —  jes'-  -'b-blige  ter  come!" 

With  hushed  faces,  the  children  gazed  first 
at  Ezekiel  and  then  at  Miss  North.  With  an 
involuntary  motion  of  the  arms,  she  made  a 
movement  toward  him.  But  a  small  heap  of  a 
boy  stirred  at  her  feet,  and  she  looked  down. 
A  possibility,  suddenly  realized,  seemed  to  seize 
him,  and  he  looked  up,  clinging  to  her  in  help 
less  terror. 

"Doan't  yer  let  'im  tek  me  back!"  he  whis 
pered  hoarsely,  "so  I  cyan'  git  'way!  Doan't 
yer,  Miss  No'th!  Please  doan't  yer!  'Cuz  - 
ain't  I  'blige  —  ain't  I  'blige  —  s-seem  like  — 
some'ow"  -  Miss  North  bent  down  to  hear  it 
-  "  s-seem  like  —  some'ow  —  t-ter-day  —  I  'se 
jes  -  -  'blige  ter  be  yere!" 

She  heard  the  faint,  choked  whisper,  and 
she  saw  the  trembling  little  figure.  She  saw 
the  other  little  figure,  and  then  again  the  faint, 
choked  whisper  came  sounding  up  to  her  ears. 
But  dimly,  dimly  —  just  for  the  moment  — 


1 68  EZEKIEL 

she  seemed  to  hear  something  else  —  to  see 
another  little  boy,  whipped  to  school  by  a  coarse, 
brutish  man,  yet  all  the  while  helplessly  struggling 
against  it.  That  other  little  boy  —  again  the 
small  hands  caught  at  her  skirts. 

"Doan't  yer  let  'im!     Will  yer,  Miss  No'th?" 

She  lifted  him  from  the  floor. 

"No  —  I  won't  let  him,"  and  she  put  him 
gently  into  his  seat. 

Still,  with  hushed  faces,  the  children  gazed 
wonderingly.  .  .  .  She  held  out  her  arms. 

"Come,  Ezekiel!"  Was  Miss  North  going 
to  cry  ? 

"Sit  down  —  right  here,  Ezekiel;  you  are 
very  —  tired!" 

He  still  hung  over  the  desk,  and  she  went  up 
to  him  between  the  seats. 

"Eze-kiel!  Come!  Come  —  my  dear  little 
boy!" 

But  there  was  the  sound  of  an  opening  door, 
and  she  turned. 

In  the  doorway  stood  a  large  and  ancient- 
looking  coloured  man,  and  for  a  moment  he  only 
stood  there,  breathing  laboriously  and  mur 
muring  in  strange,  half -audible  tones.  Then, 
with  sudden,  unexpected  perception,  he  took 


IN  CHARGE  OF  TRUSTY  169 

in  the  scene  before  him.  Half  mortified,  half 
conciliatory,  he  turned  to  Miss  North. 

"  Jes'  all  completely  wrop  up  in  dey  edj crea 
tion!"  he  explained  ingratiatingly,  with  resigned 
indulgence.  His  eyes  rested  on  Trusty. 

"Cert'nly  did  use  ter  be  de  boss  o'  dat  boy! 
Cert'nly  did!"  He  looked  at  Ezekiel  and 
chuckled  indulgently.  "But  look  like  times  is 
change!  Cert'nly  is  change!  Ya-as,  suh,  I  jes' 
natchelly  pass  de  case  over  ter  you!" 

He  turned  around  and  went  out  again  —  and 
Ezekiel  looked  up  at  Miss  North  through  his 
tears. 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH 


'N     IT    TUKKEN    RIGHT    SMART   OF    A    W'lLE    FOR    MY 
ARM   TER   GIT    ALL    WELL    AG'lN,    TOO  '  " 


IX 

THE   MISTLETOE  BOUGH 

IS  yer  ever  been  out  ser  fur 's  dis,  Miss 
No'th?"  inquired  Ezekiel,  his  eyes  trav 
elling  from  the  long  rows  of  tree-trunks  beside 
the  road  up  to  the  network  of  branches  above 
them. 

"No,  I  never  have,  Ezekiel;"  and  Miss  North 
glanced  around  and  up  at  the  network  of  branches, 
too.  "  We  have  travelled  a  long  distance,  have  n't 
we?  Let 's  stop  and  rest  a  little." 

They  sat  down  on  some  dry,  brown  moss, 
and  Ezekiel  deposited  a  large,  lacy  branch  of 
mistletoe  which  he  had  carefully  carried  in  his 
arms. 

"I  think  it's  the  most  beautiful  piece  I  ever 
saw,"  meditated  Miss  North.  "I  'm  glad  you 
did  n't  break  your  neck  getting  it,  though. 
Have  you  ever  climbed  so  high  for  it  before?" 

"Yas'm,  time  I  gotten  it  fer  Mis'  Simons. 
'N'  I  'mos'  broke  my  neck  dat  time,  too!  Ain't 


174  EZEKIEL 

I  nuver  tole  yer  'bout  time  I  gotten  it  fer  Mis' 
Simons,  Miss  No'th?" 

"Mrs.   Simons?     No,  I  don't  think  so." 

"Yer  know  'bout  Mis'  Simons,  doan't  yer, 
Miss  No'th  ?  Mis'  Simons  she  's  de  w'ite  lady 
where  I  wuk  las'  year." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  know  about  Mrs.  Simons!" 
Miss  North  smiled.  "She  was  very  kind  to  you." 

"Yas'm,  Mis'  Simons  cert'nly  r'al  kine,  'n' 
it  'appen  jes'  dis-a-way  'bout  de  mistletoe. 
She  come  out  in  de  gyarden  one  day,  jes'  ez 
I 'se  cuttin'  de  flowers  fer  de  house  —  say: 

""Zekiel,'  she  say,  <I'se  jes' thinkin'  'bout 
walkin'  out  ter  de  W'isperin'  Woods,'  she  say. 
' Would  yer  like  ter  come  'long,  too?  I'se  ve'y 
anxious  ter  git  some  mistletoe  'fo'  Chris'mas.' 
'Ve'y  well,'  she  say,  w'en  I  tole  'er  'Yas'm/ 
'I'se  'blige  stop  a  minit  at  Mis'  Myers',  but  you 
come  right  along  soon's  you  's  fru  wid  de  flow 
ers,'  she  say;  'I  '11  wait  fer  you  at  de  turnin' 
o'  de  road.' 

"I  'se  done  hyeah  Mis'  Simons  speak  'bout 
de  W'isperin'  Woods  befo',  but  I  ain't  r'ally 
nuver  been  dere,  nurrer.  So,  co'se,  I  hu'ied 
'long  wid  de  flowers  fas'  's  I  kin,  'n'  started 
'long  right  soon,  'counten  Mis'  Simons  waitin' 


EZEK1EL    DEPOSITED   A   LARGE,    LACY   BUNCH    OF    MISTLETOE 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          175 

fer  me  at  de  turnin'  o'  de  road.  Well,  ef  'tain' 
been  fer  dat  KT  ole  boy  a-ridin'  'long  drivin' 
a  nanny-goat,  reckon  'tain'  been  no  trouble 
'tall.  But,  yer  see,  jes'  soon  's  he  seen  me,  he 
'mence  hu'yin'  up  de  nanny-goat  'n'  swishin' 
de  reins  'n'  flirtin'  de  whip  'n'  holPin'  ser  loud, 
dat  praesen'ly  de  li'P  goat  jes'  hump  'erself 
right  up  in  de  air  'n'  frowed  de  KT  boy  clare 
'way  up  ser  high,  reckon  he  mus'  'a'  been  r'al 
s'prise  'bout  it  'isself.  Cuz,  fus',  look  like  he 
ain'  comin'  down  '/a//,  ole  goat  frowed  'im  up 
ser  high.  But  praesen'ly  he  'cide  he  is,  too, 
so  he  jes'  come  righ'  down  a-settin'  side  de  road, 
like  he  ain'  jes'  'zackly  know  w'at  ter  do  nex'. 
So  ole  goat  reckon  she  won't  bother  no  mo' 
wid  'im  nohow,  'n'  jes'  start  runnin'  off  down 
de  road  ser  fas'  yer  cyan'  see  nuthin'  'cep'n'  'er 
tail  a-whirlin'  'roun'  af  'er  in  de  breeze.  Well, 
co'se  dat's  kine  o'  mean  on  de  li'P  boy,  cuz  he  jes' 
cyan'  seem  ter  move  'tall  fum  where  he  's  settin', 
'n'  he  look  r'al  bad  w'en  he  seen  'ow  't  was,  too. 
"'Heyo,  boy,'  I  say,  'I'll  ketch  yer  goat  fer 
yer.'  'N'  I  start  right  off  a-chasin'  after  Jer 
down  de  road.  'N'  fus'  she  race  'long  faster  'n 
befo',  'n'  den  she  jes'  stop  'n'  flirt  'er  tail  'roun' 
a  li'P  'n'  'mence  nibblin  on  de  grass.  So  I 


176  EZEKIEL 

come  'long  r'al  quiet,  'n'  step  right  up  in  de 
KT  cyart,  'n'  nex'  she  knowed,  I'se  swishin' 
de  reins  'n'  flirtin'  de  whip  'n'  holl'in  to  'er  ter 
g'long,  jes  like  de  udder  liT  boy.  'N'  nex' 
udder  li'P  boy  knowed,  we  jes'  driv  right  up  'side 
'irh,  me  'n'  de  li'P  goat. 

"'Well,  now,  I  s'pose  I'se  'blige  ca'y  yer  home, 
ain't  I  ?'  I  say,  cuz  he  's  a-settin'  dere  jes'  same, 
siden  de  road. 

"So  de  li'P  boy  he  clim  in  de  cyart  well 's  he 
could,  'thout  r'ally  answerin',  'n'  ole  goat  she 
start  off  ag'in  wid  'er  tail  a-whirlin'.  'N'  we  's 
gwine  'long  dat-a-way  w'en  I  jes'  'membered 
'bout  Mis'  Simons.  Yas'm,  I  did.  'N'  I  ain' 
'zackly  knowed  jes'  w'at  ter  do  'bout  it,  nudder. 
So  I  kine  o'  slowed  up  de  li'P  goat  'n'  'mence 
axin'  de  li'P  boy  'ow's  he  feelin'.  Well,  he 
ain'  seem  ter  be  r'ally  feelin'  no  wuss,  so  nex' 
I  tells  'im  I  reckon  I'se  'blige  be  a-gwine  —  ef 
he  kin  'range  ter  git  'long  jes'  ez  well.  'N' 
co'se  I  didn'  wanter  git  'im  quar'lin'  or  havin' 
no  words  'bout  it,  so  I  clim  right  outen  de  cyart, 
'n'  he  jes'  tukken  de  reins  'n'  driv  right  'long 
'thout  sayin'  nuthin'  'tall,  'n'  de  li'P  nanny- 
goat's  tail's  a-whirlin'  'roun'  same's  befo'. 

"Well,   co'se   'tain   'no   use  wo'yiri*   'bout   it, 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          177 

but  I  cert'nly  wisht  Mis'  Simons  ain'  been 
waitin'  ve'y  long  at  de  turnin'  o'  de  road.  'N' 
I  seem  ter  keep  on  wishin'  -  -  same  way  — twell 
I  come  'long  where  I  kin  r'ally  see  'er,  a-settin' 
off  on  kine  of  a  KT  risin'  nex'  de  bushes.  She 
seen  me,  too,  I  reckon,  but  she  ain'  say  nary 
word;  jes'  tuk  out  'er  watch  'n'  look  at  me,  twell 
I  gotten  along  nare  'nough  to  ax  'er  has  she 
been  waitin'  —  ve'y  long  ? 

'"Come  right  yere/  she  say,  'thout  r'ally 
answerin';  'come  right  yere  ter  me.' 

"'  Yas'm,'  I  answer  'er.  I  ain't  r'ally  skyeered, 
'n'  yit  I  is,  too,  cuz  she  cert'nly  look  like  'tain' 
no  foolishness  'bout  it. 

"'  Yas'm,'  'n'  I'se  stan'in'  right  in  frent  of  'er. 

"'Now,  jes  w'at  has  yer  been  doin'?'  she  say. 

"Mis'  Simons  'mos'  allays  look  kine  o'  bright 
'n'  smilin'  w'en  she  talk,  but  'tain'  no  smilin' 
'bout  it  now. 

"'Wat?'  she  say.  'I  doan'  seem  ter  hyeah. 
Jes'  wjat  has  yer  been  doin'  ?' 

"Well,  co'se,  w'en  she  ax  me  dat-a-way,  I 
start  in  'n'  'mence  tellin'  'er  'bout  it. 

"'N'  she  —  she  listen  at  me  r'al  close  fer  KT 
w'ile;  but  den  she  seem  ter  kine  o'  smile  'n' 
turn  'er  haid  'way,  lookin'  'roun'. 


178  EZEKIEL 

"'Ya'as,'  she  say,  same  time  lookin'  off  down 
de  road,  'dat 's  enough.  Ya'as,  dat  's  enough! 
Now,  de  'mount  of  it  is,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  'you  's 
kep'  me  waitin'  jes'  'bout  a  hour.  Co'se,  yer 
may  'a'  been  int'rupted  fer  a  few  minutes  on  de 
way,  but  you  's  kep'  me  waitin'  fer  jes'  'bout  a 
hour,'  she  say,  "n'  I  doan't  reckon  't  wuz  nec'sary 
'tall.  Now,  please,  we  '11  start  'long.' 

"'N'  so  we  went  along  down  de  road,  'n' 
pas'  all  de  fiel's,  where 's  jes  turnin'  kine  o' 
brown  wid  de  cole,  'n'  pas'  all  de  li'P  bushes 
Jn'  haidges,  where  's  gittin'  kine  o'  thin  'n'  small 
wid  de  cole,  too,  twell  praesen'ly  we  gits  in  de 
woods  'n'  'mence  lookin'  aroun'  fer  de  mistletoe. 

"'Oh,  'ow  lovely  'tis!'  she  say,  lookin'  up  at 
de  li'P  shinin'  be'ies  on  de  trees.  'Look,  'Zekiel, 
ain't  it  butyful?' 

"'N'  we  keep  on  walkin'  'long. 

"'It's  a  pretty  day,  too,  ain't  it?'  she  say. 
"N'  de  woods  smell  ser  swe-et!'  'N'  she  keep 
on  sniffin'  de  air  like  she  cyan't  git  enough. 

"'Oh,  look!'  she  'mence  ag'in,  'er  cheeks 
gittin'  r'al  pink  'n'  'er  eyes  a-shinin';  'jes' look, 
'Zekiel,  right  over  yonder  -  -  'way  up !  Does 
you  see  de  branch  o' be'ies?  Jes'  see  it  glisten 
in  de  sun!' 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH  179 

"'Yas'm,'  I  holler,  runnin'  'long,  'yas'm;' 
'n',  fo'  she  r'ally  knowed  w'at  I  'se  doin',  I  'se 
jes'  climbin'  right  up  de  tree. 

"<Oh,  'Zekiel!  No!  Doan't!'  she  holler. 
'No!  'S  too  high!' 

"But  I  holler  back  I  'se  gwine  be  right  cyar- 
ful,  'n'  keep  on  squirmin'  up  de  tree;  'n'  Mis' 
Simons  she  jes'  seem  ter  foller  me,  skyeered  like, 
wid  'er  eyes,  twell  I  gotten  clare  up  ter  de  tip 
top,  'n'  she  am'  speak  nary  word — jes'  stan' 
dere  lookin'  up  steady  at  me,  like  she  cyan'  move. 

"Well,  ef  'tain  been  fer  tekkin'  my  knife 
outen  my  pocket  'n'  same  time  kine  o'  twis'in' 
myself  a  li'P  on  de  branch,  I  reckon  'tain  been 
no  trouble  'tall;  but,  yer  see,  same  time  I  'mence 
twis'in  myself,  same  time  —  I  'mence  slippin' 
back  on  de  branch. 

""Zekiel!'  I  hyeah  some  one  call;  only,  I 'se 
ser  skyeered  I  did  n'  r'ally  know  wherrer  it 's 
Mis'  Simons  or  not. 

""Ze-kiel!5 

"But  I 'se  los'  my  hole.  I  could  n'  'a'  tole 
who  's  a-callin',  or  'ow  it  'appen,  but  I  'se  slip- 
pin'  —  slippin'  —  oh,  my!  it  cert'nly  wuz  tur'ble 
ter  keep  a-slippin'  —  slippin'  —  'thout  knowin' 
'ow  ter  stop ! 


iSo  EZEKIEL 

"'Oh,  I'se  fallin',  Mis'  Simons!'  I  scream. 
'N'  den  seem  like  de  groun'  flash  up  'n'  hit  me 
tur'ble  —  'n'  I  ain'  know  no  mo'  'tall. 

"I  won'er  w'en  'twas  I  mence  ter  open  my 
eyes  like  I  'se  been  'sleep  'n'  dreamin.'  'N'  fus' 
I  could  n'  see  nuthin'  'cep'n'  de  trees  a-wavin' 
back  'n'  fofe  'n'  -  -  seem  like  I  mus'  be  dreamin' 
still  —  a  gret  big  piece  o'  mistletoe  high  up, 
wavin'  too,  wid  de  be'ies  still  a-glistenin'  in 
de  sun.  But  I  feels  sump'n'  cool  tech  my  haid 
'n'  Mis'  Simons  seem  ter  be  dere,  a-wavin' 
back  'n'  fofe  in  frent  o'  de  trees  'n'  de  mistletoe. 

"'Is  you  better?'  she  say;  'n'  den  she  seem 
ter  fade  'way,  'n'  only  de  trees  'n'  de  mistle 
toe  's  lef  ag'in.  'N'  I  kin  feel  my  eyes  open  - 
'n'  shet  -  -  'n'  open,  'n'  sump'n'  cool  tech  my 
haid  agin.  'N'  dere 's  Mis'  Simons  wavin' 
back  'n'  fofe  same  's  befo'. 

"'You's  been  hurt,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  sof; 
'you  fell  —  fum  de  tree.  Does  you  'member?' 

"'Yas'm,'  I  answer  'er. 

'"Try  —  look  at  me,  'Zekiel!'  she  say,  '  'Zekiel! 
look  at  me!'  'N'  I  kin  see  'er  han's  flash  w'ite 
'n'  den  sump'n'  un'er  my  haid  lif'in'  it  up  slow. 

"'Come,'  she  say,  talkin'  fas'  'n'  sof,  'come! 
Look  right  up  yere -- 'Zekiel !  You 's  been 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          181 

hurt  —  a  li'P,  but  you  's  better.  Look!  Look  at 
me !  Ya'as  ?  Ya'as  ?  Jes'  a  li'P  ?  Raise  yer  haid  ? 
Jes'  a  li'P— dat-a- way?'  'N'  'er  ban's  seem 
ter  flash  ag'in  'n'  fade. 

"'No!  Try  not  ter  shet  you  eyes.  Look  at  me 
ag'in,  'Zekiel!  Sh~sh!  No  — 'tain  nuthin' 
gwine  hurt  you.' 

"'N'  she  keep  on  talkin'  faster  'n'  softer  all 
time,  like  she  's  tryin'  ter  git  me  'wake  fer  sho'. 
'N'  she  is,  too.  Cuz  praesen'ly  I  twis'  'roun' 
a  li'P  'n'  tries  ter  raise  myself  'n'  -  -  tell  'er  w'at 
I  'se  thinkin'  bout. 

"'It's  my  arm  —  where  hurts  me  mos'!' 
I  say;  'n'  same  time,  w'en  I  tries  ter  lif  it  up, 
it  'mos'  made  me  cry  out  loud,  it  hurt  ser  bad. 

"She  'mence  ter  look  up  'n'  down  de  road 
un'er  de  trees,  like  she  's  studyin'  'bout  it  'n' 
ain'  jes'  'zackly  know  w'at  ter  do.  Den  she 
turn  'n'  look  at  me  steady. 

""Zekiel,'  she  say,  'we  mus'  git  home.  We  's 
fur  'way  fum  eve'ybody,  'n'  we  mus'  git 
home.  It's  gwine  be  hard,'  she  say,  'hard  fer 
you  —  my  po'  chile,  but  kin  you  —  be  brave? 
Kin  you  try  ter  walk  ?' 

"She  took  hole  o'  me  ter  help  me  well 's  she 
could,  'n'  we  start  off  slow  down  de  road. 


1 82  EZEKIEL 

"'We  's  'blige  leave  de  mistletoe  on  de  branch, 
ain't  we?'  I  say,  lookin'  up  at  it,  still  a-glistenin'. 

"'Ya'as,  we 's  'blige  leave  it,  but  mercy, 
chile!'  she  say,  smilin'  at  me  r'al  bright,  like 
t'  encour'ge  me, '  we  won't  wo'y  'bout  de  mistletoe.' 

"'No'm,'  I  say,  'but  seem  like  it's  w'isperin' 
to  us  'bout  it  now.  De  trees  is  all  a- w'isperin', 
too,  am'  dey,  Mis'  Simons?' 

"'Ya'as,  dey  allays  w'isper,'  she  answer,  'n' 
we  keep  on  down  de  road. 

"  'T  wuz  tur'ble  long  —  seem  like  I  ain'  nuver 
knowed  nothin'  ser  long;  'n'  my  arm  ached 
me  ser  tur'ble!  But  Mis'  Simons  keep  on  talkin' 
like  she  's  doin'  it  a-purpose,  'n'  yit  seem  like 
it 's  achin'  me  wuss  all  time. 

"'Wat  is  it,  'Zekiel?'  she  ask  praesen'ly, 
r'al  quick.  'Sit  down  right  yere!  We'll  res' 
a  li'P.  Ya'as,'  she  say  to  'erself  like,  'we'll 
res'.' 

"'I  reckon  we  better  keep  on  a-gwine  long's 
-  we  kin,'  I  answer,  but  I  could  n'  seem  ter 
hyeah  my  voice  'tall  w'en  I  spoke. 

"'I  reckon  so,  too.'  'N'  'er  voice  soun'  like 
it's  w'isperin'  far  'way  wid  de  trees.  'I  reckon 
so,  too.' 

"'N'  af  dat  I  ain'  r'ally  know  nuthin',  cep'n' 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          183 

I  'se  movin'  along  slow  —  wid  my  arm  achin' 
me  tur'ble,  'n'  de  trees  a-wis'perin,  'n'  holdin' 
me  up  'n'  helpin'  me  'long,  'n'  still  a-w'isperin', 
sof  'n'  gentle: 

"'Only  jes' a  liT   furrer,   now;  jes' a  liT - 
ya'as,    you  's    a    ve'y    brave  —  liT    boy.     Only 
jes' a  liT  furrer  —  try  —  try?    Ya'as,  my  chile 
-  we  's  mos'  dereP 

"I  ain'  'zackly  know  w'en  de  change  come 
or  w'en  de  w'isperin's  stop;  but  nex'  it  seem  ter 
be  —  Sarah,  a-puttin'  me  in  de  baid,  'n'  same 
time  talkin'  'bout  de  doctor.  He  mus'  'a'  come, 
too;  cuz  praesn'ly  it's  a  r'al  deep  voice  close 
'side  me,  'n'  some  one  hurtin'  my  arm  'n' 
den  fadin'  'way.  Only  look  like  I  'se  in  de 
woods  ag'in,  cuz  I  seen  Mis'  Simons'  han's 
flash  w'ite  -  -  'n'  it 's  Mis'  Simons  where  Js 
fadin1  'way!  'N'  dey  come  de  w'isperin'  ag'in 
like  de  trees: 

"'Only  jes' a  liT  mo'  now,  jes' a  liT  —  ya'as, 
you  's  a  ve'y  brave  -  -  liT  boy  —  a  ve'y  brave  — 
ya'as,  my  chile  —  you  kin  res' --now!' 

"'N'  seem  like  I  jes' drap  off  'sleep  ag'in - 
w'ile  I  'se  lis'nin'.     .     .     ." 

"Yes;  you  had  a  pretty  serious  time,  didn't 
you?"  began  Miss  North,  after  a  pause. 


1 84  EZEKIEL 

"Yas'm.  'N'  it  tukken  right  smart  of  a  w'ile 
fer  my  arm  ter  git  all  well  ag'in,  too.  But  de 
stranges'  thing  'bout  it  ain'  come  den,  nurrer. 
No'm.  De  stranges'  thing  'bout  it  all  ain'  come 
twell  —  twell  jes'  'fo'  Chris'mas. 

"'Twuz  dat  tur'ble  stormy  night.  Oh,  't  wuz 
a  tur'ble  stormy  night,  Miss  No'th.  It  start 
r'al  early  in  de  evenin',  kine  o'  easy  at  fus',  too, 
wid  de  win'  jes'  stealin'  'roun'  de  house  w'istlin' 
low,  'n'  den  w'iskin'  away  sudden,  like  it 's 
laffin'  to  itself.  But  time  I  gotten  in  de  baid  it 
ain'  w'istlin'  low  no  mo'.  No'm;  it 's  jes'  screamin' 
'n'  holl'in'  'n'  knockin'  itself  'ginst  de  house  'n' 
bangin'  de  blinds,  'n'  rockin'  de  baid  back  'n' 
fofe  jes'  like  a  cradle.  Fus'  I  'se  kine  o'  skyeered 
jes'  layin'  dere  lis'nin',  but  de  baid  keep  on  a- 
swingin'  back  'n'  fofe,  'n'  praesn'ly  I  'mence  ter 
feel  kine  o'  sleepy,  too.  But  I  ain'  no  sooner 
r'ally  'sleep  'n  de  stranges'  thing  'appen!  I 
dream  I  'se  in  de  W'isperin'  Woods,  a-layin' 
un'er  de  trees,  lookin'  up.  'N'  de  sun  's  a-shinin', 
'n'  de  same  big  piece  o'  mistletoe  's  still  a-glistenin' 
up  dere  on  de  branch,  'n'  de  trees  wuz  all 
a-w'isperin'  same 's  befo'.  'N'  same  time  I 
lay  dere,  seem  like  de  mistletoe  'mence  ter  w'isper 
all  'lone. 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          185 

"'Turn  me  loose!'  it  say.  'I  want  ter  drap 
down  wid  de  snow.' 

"'N'  w'en  I  look  'roun',  sho'  'nough,  it's 
snowin' ;  'n'  yit  de  sun  's  a-shinin'  bright 's  ever, 
too. 

"'Turn  me  loose!'  de  mistletoe  say.  'I  want 
ter  drap  down  wid  de  snow.'  'N'  all  de  trees 
seem  ter  w'isper  back,  but  I  could  n'  under- 
stan'  a  word  dey  say. 

"'Turn  me  loose!'  she  call  r'al  loud;  'n'  de 
trees  call  back,  'n'  de  sun  went  down,  'n'  still 
she  keep  on  a-callin'  louder  'n'  louder,  'n'  twis'in' 
'erself  on  de  branch,  'n'  de  trees  callin'  back  all 
tergerrer  —  like  a  storm. 

"I  'mence  ter  git  skyeered,  too,  'n'  tries  ter 
run.  But  'tain'  no  use.  I  'se  in  de  W'isperin' 
Woods,  'n'  I  could  n'  git  out.  It 's  dark  now, 
too;  gittin'  blacker  all  time.  'N'  de  mistletoe's 
still  a-screamin'  /n'  a-twis'in'  on  de  branch, 
'n'  de  trees  a-screamin'  back,  'n'  a-bendin' 
'n'  whirlin'  'n'  groanin'  'n'  smashin'  dey 
branches. 

'"O/£,  turn  me  looser  she  scream  'bove  all 
de  res';  'n',  it's  de  trufe,  she  jes'  leap  up  'n' 
twis'  'n'  tear  twell  she  tear  'erself  right  offen 
de  branch  'n'  drap  down  in  de  snow. 


i.86  EZEKIEL 

"'N',  same  time,  it  all  seem  ter  git  kine  o' 
quiet  ag'in,  'n'  de  sun  come  out,  'n'  de  trees 
wuz  all  a-w'isperin',  'n'  de  big  w'ite  branch  o' 
mistletoe  's  lyin'  still  'n'  glistenin'  in  de  snow. 

"  'N'  it 's  ser  quiet  I  reckon  I  mus'  'a'  jes'  keep 
on  sleepin'  'thout  dreamin'  't  all.  Cuz  after 
long  w'ile,  w'en  I  wek  up,  it 's  mawnin',  'n'  de 
sun  's  a-shinin'  'n'  de  groun's  all  kivered  w'ite 
wid  snow.  It  made  me  feel  kine  o'  strange 
w'en  I  look  at  it,  too,  'n'  I  'se  still  a-studyin 
'bout  it  w'en  I  went  down-styairs. 

"'Twuz  a  tur'ble  storm,  wa'n't  it?'  I  hyeah 
Sarah  say  ter  Marg'ret. 

"'Ya'as,'  Marg'ret  answer  'er,  "t  wuz  tur'ble.' 

"I  ain'  tell  'em  'bout  de  dream,  but  after 
breakfus'  I  put  on  my  things  'n'  start  'long 
outen  de  house,  thinkin'  all  time  'bout  de 
W'isperin'  Woods.  De  snow  ain'  ve'y  deep, 
but  it 's  blowed  all  'roun',  too,  so  some  places  it 's 
liT  drifts  of  it  right  'fo'  me  in  de  road.  But  I 
run  'long  jes'  same  —  right  'long  —  twell  praesn'ly 
I  'se  in  de  woods.  'N'  de  w'isperin's  wuz 
a-floatin'  'roun'  eve'ywhere,  sof  'n'  gentle,  'n' 
yit,  same  time  seem  sump'n  like  a  dream,  too. 
Cuz  I  keep  on  seein'  lot  o'  branches  on  de 
groun',  like  dey  's  blowed  off  in  de  night.  But 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          187 

de  snow  seem  ter  flash  up  fum  below,  'n'  I 
'mence  ter  look  up  fer  de  tree  where  de  mistle 
toe  growed. 

"'Hyeah  'tis/  I  say;  <dis  is  de  one!'  'N'  I 
look  up  ag'in,  'n'  den  I  look  down,  'n'  seem  like 
it's  jes'  like  de  dream  come  back!  Cuz  dere's 
a  big  w'ite  branch  0'  mistletoe  a-layiri*  dere  — 
still  'n'  glisieniri1  in  de  snow!  But  I  picks  it  up 
'n'  feels  it,  'n'  holes  it  up  ter  de  light  -  -  'n'  I 
knows  it  ain'  no  dream!  I  knows  it!  'N'  I 
jes'  jump  up  'n'  down,  I  'se  ser  glad,  V  laf  right 
out  loud  -  -  'n'  den  turns  'roun'  'n'  run  'long 
back  ag'in  down  de  road ! 

"'N'  seem  like  de  trees  wuz  all  a-singin'  ez 
I  went.  .  .  ." 

Miss  North  leaned  forward  and  looked  at  him, 
waiting. 

"And  Mrs.  Simons?"  she  questioned. 

"Yas'm —  I 'se  gwine  tell  yer!  Yas'm!  Yer 
see,  I  —  I  foun'  'er  jes'  soon  's  I  could!  She  's 
a-stan'in'  in  de  lib'ry,  by  de  fiah.  'N'  I  went 
in  wid  it  heP  right  out  in  my  arms. 

"She  look  at  it  r'al  quick  fus',  'n'  den  at  me. 

"<W'y  —  w'y,  'Zekiel!  Where  did  yer  git 
it  ? '  she  say. 

"'In  de  W'isperin'   Woods,   Mis'   Simons/   I 


1 88  EZEKIEL 

answer.  '  It  drap  down  in  de  night  -  -  'n'  I 
foun'  it  dere  jes  now.' 

"'In  de  night?'  she  ask,  quick,  'but  howcome 
yer  ter  know  'bout  it?' 

"'I  —  I  dream  'bout  it,'  I  tell  'er;  'I  dream 
all  'bout  it  in  de  night.' 

"She  look  at  me  like  she  ain'  jes  understan', 
'n'  look  at  me  quick  ag'in.  Den  'er  eyes  'mence 
ter  shine,  'n'  she  frow  back  'er  haid  'n'  laf  wid 
'er  teef  glistenin'  w'ite  's  de  mistletoe  be'ies. 

"'You  dream  it?'  she  say.  'W'y,  'Zekiel, 
ain't  we  glad!  W'y  'Zekiel!  Come  yere!'  she 
say.  'Come  yere,  you  young  s-seer!'  she  say, 
'you  young  dreamer  o'  dreams!'  Yas'm,  dat 's 
jes'  de  way  she  talk.  'You  young  dreamer  o' 
dreams,'  she  say,  'come  yere  ter  me  'n'  lemme 
see  it !'  'N'  she  tukken  it  in  'er  han's,  still  a-lookin' 
at  me  wid  'er  eyes  a-dancin'. 

'"It 's  jes'  butyful,  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  'jes'  buty- 
ful!  I  'se  sho'  dey  nuver  wuz  sech  a  butyful 
piece,  'n'  you  cert'nly  wuz  a  nice  li'P  boy  ter  git 
it  fer  me.  W'y,  'ow  s'prise  I  wuz  w'en  I  seen 
yer  comin'  in  wid  it!  'Ow  s'prise'  I  wuz!  'Deed, 
I 'se  glad  we's  got  it,  isn't  you,  'Zekiel!  Thank 
you  —  thank  you,  my  chile!  It 's  jes'  butyful!' ': 

Miss   North   looked    down    at    a   large,    lacy 


THE  MISTLETOE  BOUGH          189 

spray  which  lay  on  the  grass,  and  then  up  through 
the  network  of  branches.  Ezekiel's  eyes  followed 
hers,  and  they  both  became  gently  preoccupied  - 
Ezekiel  with  the  picture  of  Mrs.  Simons  stand 
ing  bright  and  glowing  before  him,  with  the 
mistletoe  in  her  arms;  Miss  North  with  one  of  a 
small,  soft-voiced  coloured  boy  climbing,  reach 
ing,  eagerly  climbing  for  something  beautiful 
away  above  him  —  falling,  and  yet  dreaming  still 
of  the  beautiful  something  away  above  him. 

She  felt  as  if  she  were  gazing  up  with  him, 
quivering  with  the  sorrow  and  the  truth  of  it  - 
gazing  at  these  wonderful,  mocking  spaces  which 
stretched    away    to    the    beautiful    something  - 
wondering   if   it   was   only   beautiful    because   it 
was  above  him  - 

"No,"  she  murmured  absently,  "it  came 
down  —  and  it  was  just  as  beautiful  —  and 
you  were  so  appreciative  —  and  it  was  just 
as  beautiful ;  it  came  down  —  and  it  was  just 
as  beautiful.  Oh!  why  could  n't  it  come  down 
-oftener?  It  would  help  —  so  much!" 

"Wha'm  yer  say,  Mis'  No'th?"  His  voice 
was  an  absent  murmur  too,  and  it  came  like  a 
small,  far-away  answering  note  - 

"  Yas'm  —  't  would  help  ser  much!" 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN  OF 
QUEENIE 


"HE   LED   THEM   ON" 


X 

THE   INTERRUPTED   REIGN   OF   QUEENIE 

ALONG  line  of  children  filed  out  from  the 
Whittier  School  at  Hampton  Institute, 
and  following  it  came  the  Lady  from  the  North 
who,  with  her  note-book  in  hand,  was  making 
a  study  of  the  "Negro  Problem"  -and  her 
friend  —  who,  with  a  small  camera,  was  helping 
along  with  an  occasional  picture. 

As  the  line  of  children  broke  and  scattered 
and  then  ran  away  in  many  directions,  the  two 
looked  on  sympathetically  until  they  were  appar 
ently  all  gone,  and  then  turned  to  find  that  they 
were  not  all  gone,  after  all,  that  another  one 
was  sauntering  leisurely  down  the  steps  —  alone. 
He  glanced  at  them  with  a  half-smile,  and  then 
went  on  across  the  yard. 

" That's  the  one!"  whispered  the  Lady  from 
the  North  eagerly,  "that's  the  one!" 

What  one,  she  did  not  explain,  but  her  friend 
seemed  to  understand,  and  smiled  with  appre 
ciation. 

193 


194  EZEKIEL 

"Yes  —  let's  follow  him  —  just  a  little." 

They  walked  on  in  an  accidental  sort  of  way, 
down  one  of  the  roads  which  led  away  —  away 
to  parts  unknown,  the  small,  sauntering  figure 
just  ahead  unconsciously  the  leader. 

"But  why  should  we  be  following  a  child 
like  this?"  suddenly  murmured  the  Lady  vaguely. 

"I  don't  know,"  vaguely  murmured  the  friend, 
"do  you?"  He  led  them  on. 

"No."     And  he  led  them  on. 

They  glanced  at  unfamiliar  fields  blowing 
with  clover  in  the  distance,  at  the  unfamiliar 
road  at  their  feet,  at  the  small  figure  still  leading 
them  gently  on,  and  smiled. 

"There  seems  to  be  something  queer  about 
it,"  suggested  the  friend;  "perhaps  we  couldn't 
turn  back!" 

"I  doubt  if  we  could,"  agreed  the  Lady. 
"Do  you  see?  He's  going  toward  the  woods. 
He  's  going  —  to  lose  us  in  the  woods." 

"Are  you  agreeable?"  smiled  the  friend. 
"We're  getting  there." 

"Perfectly."  and  he  opened  the  way  through 
the  first  trees. 

Suddenly  he  half  stopped,  with  a  movement 
of  indecision,  and  then  dropped  gently  down 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN       195 

on  some  brown  moss  and  gazed  away  dreamily 
through  low  branches  at  the  sky. 

" Don't  you  wish  you  could  get  out?"  whis 
pered  the  friend,  "but  you  can't!"  And  they 
still  moved  unresistingly  over  the  brown  moss. 

But  their  leader,  their  Pied  Piper,  turned  his 
head  at  the  sound  of  steps  and  looked  up  won- 
deringly  into  their  faces. 

"Oh,  what  a  —  nice  place  to  rest!"  apolo 
gized  the  Lady.  "Do  you  mind  if  we  sit  down 
a  moment,  too?" 

"No'm,"  he  answered,  in  some  confusion, 
and  pulled  himself  lightly  to  his  feet. 

"Oh,  don't  go!  We  wouldn't  have  you  go 
for  anything!  You  're  a  little  Whittier  School 
boy,  aren't  you?  Why,  yes,  isn't  your  name, 
EzekMt" 

"Yas'm,"  he  answered,  shyly  pleased,  and 
dropped  down,  with  some  hesitation,  beside 
them  on  the  moss. 

"Surely!"  she  encouraged,  "and  aren't  you 
the  little  boy  who  is  so  fond  of  telling  them  all 
such  nice  stories?" 

"Yas'm,  I  tells  'em  all  kine  o'  stories,"  he 
smiled,  even  more  pleased,  "'bout  —  'bout  all 
kine  o'  things." 


196  EZEKIEL 

"Oh,  lovely!"  murmured  the  friend.  "Tell 
us  a  story  while  we're  waiting,  can't  you?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Ezekiel  with  unexpected 
willingness,  still  gazing  somewhat  absently  at 
the  sky.  "I  kin  tell  a  story  'bout  — 'bout  'Manuel 
'n'  all  'is  li'l'  brurrers;  I  'se  fixin'  ter  tell  'em 
'bout  it  at  school,  too,  only  Miss  No'th,  she 
ain'  nuver  'low  me.  Yas'm  -  -  'bout  'Manuel 
'n'  all  'is  li'l'  brurrers."  The  Lady  arranged 
herself  out  of  his  direct  line  of  vision,  conscious 
that  their  ultimate  purpose  was  actually  accom 
plished,  and  whipped  out  the  note-book.  She 
was  prepared  now,  if  never  before,  to  settle  the 
"Problem"  once  for  all.  "Yer  see,  it's  'bout 
a  li'l'  boy  named  'Manuel  where  lived  all  'lone 
'thout  no  kin  'tall,  'cuz  dey  's  all  daid." 

Both  ladies  were  leaning  forward  listening 
intelligently. 

"'N'  eve'y  time  he  gotten  'im  some  mo'  kin, 
w'y,  sump'm  allays  seem  ter  'appen  to  'em, 
'twell  tain'  none  uv 'em  lef.  So  one  day  he 
foun'  'isself  all  'lone  agin." 

The  Lady's  pencil  hovered  doubtfully  over 
her  book  as  if  she  felt  some  slight  question  as 
to  just  how  to  begin. 

"So  w'en  he  foun'  he's  all  'lone  agin  he  jes' 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN       197 

'mence  ter  won'er  w'at  he  's  gwine  do  'bout  it. 
So  after  studyin'  liT  w'ile,  he  'cide  he  '11  git  'im 
some  liT  brurrers  'n'  sisters.  But  den  he  'cide 
p'r'aps,  after  all,  it  '11  seem  mo'  home-like  ef  he 
jes'  has  'em  all  brurrers.  So  he  jes'  gotten  'im 
twelve  liT  brurrers.  'N'  he  set  'em  all  down  on 
twelve  liT  cheers  in  a  row,  'n'  look  at  'em,  'n' 
den  he  's  kine  o'  s'prise  'cuz  dey  ain'  look  ser 
home-like  aft'  all!  So  he  look  at  'em  agin, 
'n'  den  he  say,  'Sho!  Doan'  look  like  sense  ter 
hab  'em  all  jes'  same  kine!  Reckon  I  'se  'blige 
git  one  liT  sister,  aft'  all!'" 

The  Lady's  pencil  was  still  poised  in  wavering 
anxiety. 

"So  he  gotten  one  liT  sister  'n'  putten  'er 
right  on  de  en'  o'  de  row  on  de  flo'  ('cuz  'tain' 
no  mo'  cheers,  counten  de  liT  boys  settin'  on 
all  dey  is)  'n'  she  set  dere  jes'  ez  nice,  in  a  liT 
coat  all  trim  eroun'  wid  fedders  'n'  a  liT  par'sol 
over  'er  haid." 

"A  parasol?"  objected  the  Lady,  while  the 
pencil  twitched  spasmodically,  "why  should  she 
have  a  - 

"Yas'm,  all  trim  eroun'  wid  fedders,  'n'  a 
liT  par'sol  over  'er  haid.  'N'  co'se  dat  made 
thirteen.  'N'  de  liT  sister's  name  Queenie. 


198  EZEKIEL 

'N'  she  's  de  li'les'  of  all.  But  de  HT  boys  ain' 
nary  one  of  'em  got  no  name  'tall.  So  co'se, 
'Manuel  has  ter  start  studyin'  right  off  w'at 
he  '11  name  'em. 

"'Well,  dat 's  kine  o'  funny,  too,'  he  say, 
lookin'  at  de  bigges'  liT  boy,  'cuz  I  cyan'  seem 
ter  think  o'  nuthin'.  Cert'nly  is  funny.  Well, 
I  ain'  gwine  bother  no  mo'  wid  it!'  he  say, 
'I  'se  jes'  gwine  name  eve'yone  o'  yer  'Manuel 
af  me!  Only  co'se  I'll  call  yer  Li9 19  'Manuel 
w'en  I  speak,  so  yer  '11  know  'tain'  inten'  fer 
me.  'N'  co'se  Queenie's  name  Queenie.  'N' 
tain'  no  way  fer  'er  ter  be  a-settin'  on  de  flo', 
nudder,'  he  say,  'n'  he  look  at  de  li'P  boy 
where  's  settin'  nex'  'er.  '  W'y  doan'  yer  git 
up  'n'  ax  'er  does  she  want  yer  cheer,  LiT 
'Manuel?' 

"Well,  co'se  w'en  dey  hyeah  'im  say  Li* I' 
'Manuel,  w'y  co'se  all  de  liT  boys  hop  right  up 
'n'  'mence  offerin'  Queenie  dey  cheer.  'N' 
Queenie,  w'en  she  seen  all  twelve  on  'em  a-shovin' 
up  dey  cheers,  'n'  a  axin'  'er  does  she  wanter 
se'  down,  w'y,  she  's  ser  skyeered  she  jes'  drap 
'er  par'sol  on  de  flo',  'n'  bu'y  'er  haid,  'n'  bus' 
right  out  cry  in'  'twell  look  like  she  ain'  nuver 
gwine  stop.  'N'  all  de  liT  'Manuels  look  kine 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        199 

o'  skyeered,  too,  w'en  dey  seen  way  it  come 
out,  but  still  dey  keep  on  a  offerin'  'er  dey 
cheers." 

The  Lady  laid  down  her  pencil,  and  both  she 
and  her  friend  relaxed  submissively. 

u'Se'  down!'  'Manuel  holler.  <Se'  down!' 
'N'  dey  all  hop  back  ser  quick,  look  like  he  ain' 
no  mo'n  spoke  'fo'  dey  's  all  a-settin'  in  de  row 
agin  lookin'  up.  But  Queenie  's  still  a  cryin', 
V  'er  par'sol  's  on  de  flo'. 

"'Well,  now  yer  did  n'  use  no  sense  'tall/ 
'Manuel  say,  'cuz  co'se  yer  knowed  I  did  n' 
mean  all  of  yer  ter  git  up  'n'  offer  Queenie  yer 
cheer.  Nev'  min'  Queenie,  doan'  yer  cry,  I  'se 
gwTine  turn  de  water-spout  on  'em  'twell  dey 
'haves  better.'  So  he  turns  de  water-spout  on 
'em,  'n'  'twould  'a'  all  went  jes'  de  way  he  's 
'tendin'  ef  he  ain'  got  kine  o'  mix  up  'bout  w'at 
he  's  doin'  'n'  turn  de  water-spout  on  Queenie, 
too.  Well,  ef  she  ain'  holler  'n'  squeal  w'en  he 
done  dat!  'N'  'Manuel  'mence  ter  holler  he  ain' 
mean  ter,  'twuz  jes'  a  li'P  mistek,  'n'  de  liT 
'Manuels  all  'mence  ter  holler,  cuz  dey  's  feelin' 
kine  o'  bad  anyway,  'n'  'Manuel  he  has  ter  speak 
up  awful  quick. 

"'Now  we  's  gwine  out  fer  a  li'P  run!'  he  say, 


200  EZEKIEL 

'so  tain'  nuthin'  ter  cry  'bout,  we  's  all  gwine 
out  fer  a  li'P  run!* 

"Well,  fus'  dey  say  dey  ain'  wanter  go  out 
fer  no  run,  but  'Manuel,  he  talks  r'al  nice  to  'em, 
'n'  nex'  yer  knows  he  's  a-runnin'  'em  out  de  do', 
'n'  down  de  steps,  'n'  inter  de  road,  all  in  a  row, 
jes'  same,  'n'  Queenie  on  de  en',  las'  of  all,  wid 
'er  li'P  par'sol  over  'er  haid,  same 's  at  fus'. 
Well,  co'se  de  sun 's  a-shinin',  'n'  praesen'ly 
dey  all  'mence  ter  feel  r'al  good  'n'  drap  into  a 
walk.  But  dey  ain'  no  sooner  drap  into  a  walk 
'n'  dey  seen  a  man  comin'  drivin'  'long  down 
de  road  in  a  cyart  'n'  a  lady  settin'  'side  'im  on 
de  seat  a  playin'  on  a  fiddle. 

"'Heyo!'  de  man  say,  w'en  he  seen  'em,  'n' 
slow  up  'is  ho'se  'n'  stop  right  'side  'em.  'Heyo! 
Is  dese  yere  all  'long  ter  you?' 

"'Yas,  dey  is,'  'Manuel  answer  'im,  'dey 's 
my  li'l'  brurrers  'n'  my  li'P  sister,  'n'  we  's  gwine 
a  walkin'.' 

'"Make  right  smart  of  a  row,  doan'  dey?' 
man  say;  'well,  ef  yer  jes'  hops  right  in  yere  on 
de  seat  I  '11  give  yer  all  a  li'P  ride.' 

"Well,  co'se  de  li'P  boys,  soon  's  dey  hyeah 
Jim  say  dat,  w'y,  co'se  dey  all  'mence  a-climbin' 
up  on  de  wheels  'n'  a-scramblin'  over  de  aidge 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        201 

'n'  a  pushin'  'long  on  de  seat  'n'  a-mekkin'  room 
fer  Queenie  on  de  en'.  'N'  nex'  yer  know,  ole 
ho'se  she  jes'  start  right  'long  wid  'er  tail  a-flyin' 
'n'  de  man  'n'  de  lady  'n'  all  de  liT  'Manuels 
a-settin'  dere  in  de  row,  'n'  Queenie  las'  of  all 
on  de  ve'y  aidge  wid  'er  par'sol  over  'er  haid. 

'"Well,  yer  jes'  stop!'  'Manuel  call  after  'em 
fum  where  he  's  stan'in'  in  de  road.  'I  ain'  tole 
yer  yer  kin  do  no  sech  a  thing!  Yer  jes'  stop, 
I  tell  yer!' 

"Co'se  ole  man  's  kine  o'  mad  w'en  he 
hyeah  'im  callin'  dat-a-way,  so  he  driv'  right 
on  a  liT  furrer  wid  de  lady  still  a-playin'  on  de 
fiddle,  'n'  de  liT  'Manuels  all  a-turnin'  dey  haids 
'n'  lookin'  back,  'n'  Queenie  not  turnin'  nuthin', 
counten  bein'  ser  nare  de  aidge  she  knows  she 
cyan't--'n'  den  he  say  'W--o —  a!' 'n'  stop. 

"'Well,  now  ain't  yer  shame!'  'Manuel  say, 
a-comin'  'long  right  up  'side  'em  all  agin. 
'Well,  now  yer  kin  jes'  git  right  'long  out  agin.' 

"So  dey 's  all  jes'  'blige  climb  right  'long  out 
agin,  'n'  ole  man  start  whuppin'  up  'is  ho'se 
'n'  ridin'  off  agin  faster  'n  ever,  wid  de  lady  still 
a-playin'  on  de  fiddle,  'n'  'Manuel  'n'  all  de 
liT  'Manuels  'n'  Queenie  went  walkin'  'long 
in  de  row  same 's  befo',  But  dey  ain'  been 


202  EZEKIEL 

ve'y  far  'fo'  de  sun  'mence  ter  come  out  brighter 
'n'  brighter  'n'  brighter,  'twell  praesen'ly  look 
like  it 's  movin'  righ'  down  todes  'em  fum  de  sky. 

"'Oh,  my!'  'Manuel  say,  'de  sun's  drappin' 
down!  Now  w'at  yer  reckon  yer's  gwine  do? 
Cyan't.yer  see?  De  sun's  drappin'  down!' 

"'Yas,  sir!'  dey  all  answer  'im  tergedder,  only 
dey's  ser  skyeered  dey  all  'mence  cryin'  same 
time  dey  spoke. 

"'Well,  dat  ain'  nuthin','  'Manuel  say  r'al 
easy,  'thout  balkin'  'tall  fer  words,  'but  I  reckon 
we  '11  jes'  se'  down  'n'  res'  a  liT  'side  de  road.' 

"So  dey  se'  down  'n'  look  up,  'n'  de  sun  kep' 
on  a  drappin'  down  narer,  twell  nex'  dey  knows 
it  stop  right  on  de  tip-top  branch  of  a  big  ole 
tree  right  'side  'em. 

'"Well,  dat's  kine  o'  funny,  too,'  'Manuel 
say,  '  'n'  I  reckon  yer  '11  be  'blige  loan  yer  par'sol 
fer  jes'  a  li'l'  w'ile,  Queenie,  cuz  cert'nly  is 
gittin'  hot.' 

"So  Queenie  she  pass  up  'er  li'l'  par'sol  ter 
'Manuel,  'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  li'l'  w'ile,  'n' 
den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  li'l'  boy,  'n'  he  pertec' 
'is  haid  fer  li'l'  w'ile,  'n'  den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex' 
li'l'  boy,  'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  li'l'  w'ile,  'n' 
den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  li'l'  boy,  'n'  he  pertec'  'is 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        203 

haid  fer  KT  w'ile,  'n'  den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  HT 
boy,  'n'  - 

The  Lady  looked  at  her  friend,  who  offered 
a  suggestion. 

" Until  they  had  all  used  it?" 

"Yas'm,  'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  liT  w'ile, 
'n'  den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  KT  boy,  'n'  he  pertec' 
'is  haid  fer  KT  w'ile,  'n'  den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex' 
liT  boy,  'n'  - 

"Yes,  yes!"  The  friend  was  getting  nervous. 
"Everyone  of  them  protected  his  head  for  a  little 
while!" 

"  Yas'm,  eve'yone  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  liT  w'ile 
'n'  den  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  li'P  boy,  'n'  -  -" 

"  Till  it  finally  got  back  to  Queenie,  I  suppose!" 

"  Yas'm,  twell  finely  got  back  ter  Queenie. 
'N'  by  dat  time  she  's  —  w'y,  she  's  mos'  all  melt 
away!  Yas'm!  It's  de  trufe,  it's  been  gone 
ser  long,  dat  time  it  got  back  ter  Queenie,  w'y 
it 's  de  trufe,  she  's  mos'  all  melt  away! 

"<Sho!  Ain' dat  too  bad !'  'Manuel  say,  lookin' 
at  'er;  'well,  ef  we  fans  'er  right  smart,  p'r'aps 
she  won't  melt  no  mo'!  Ef  we  fans  'er  right 
smart!'  So  dey  each  tukken  out  a  liT  fedder 
fum  de  aidge  o'  Queenie's  coat,  'n'  'mence  a- 
fannin'  'n'  -a-fannin',  twell  praesen'ly  she  stop 


204  EZEKIEL 

meltin'  'n'  look  up  jes'  bout  same  way's  befo'. 
Co'se  'er  yeahs  is  mos'  gone,  'n'  one  arm  's  drip 
off,  'n'  counten  a  HT  disfiggerment  o'  de  feet  she 
cyan't  r'ally  walk  on  'em,  but  'side  fum  all  dat, 
'tain'  seem  ter  done  no  harm  't  all. 

"'Well,  I  reckon  we  better  be  gwine  home,' 
'Manuel  say,  'n'  same  time  he  spoke  co'se  dey  all 
'mence  ter  start.  But  de  stranges'  thing!  Same 
time  dey  start,  de  sun  'mence  a  movin'  off  fum  de 
tree  'n'  a  gwine  up  —  up  —  up  agin,  twell  look 
like  it 's  gwine  clare  way  back  in  de  sky  where  it 
come  fum.  'N'  it  'mence  gittin'  a  liT  darker 
'n'  a  li'P  darker,  twell  praesen'ly,  w'y,  it  jes' 
'mence  ter  rain.  Well,  by  dis  time  co'se  Queenie  's 
hol'in  'er  par'sol  agin  jes'  ez  nice  's  ever,  'n'  w'en 
'Manuel  look  at  'er,  seem  like  it  made  'im  kine 
o'  mad  ter  see  'er  a  lookin'  ser  nice  'n'  dry  onder  de 
par'sol,  so, '  I  reckon  yer  '11  be  'blige  loan  yer  par' 
sol  fer  li'P  w'ile,  Queenie,'  he  say,  'cuz  cert'nly  's 
gittin'  r'al  wet.' 

"  So  Queenie,  she  pass  up  'er  par'sol  ter  'Manuel, 
'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  li'P  w'ile,  'n'  den  he  pass 
it  ter  de  nex'  li'P  boy,  'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer 
li'P  w'ile,  'n'  den  he  pass  it  ter  de  nex'  li'P  boy 
'n'  he  pertec'  'is  haid  fer  li'P  w'ile,  'n' " 

"So  they  all  used  it  again!"  gasped  the  friend, 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        205 

threatened   with   a   nervous   relapse,    "everyone, 
till  it  got  back  to  Queenie  again!" 

"Yas'm,    eve'yone,    twell    it    gotten    back    ter 
Queenie   agin,    'n'    den   it   been   gone   ser   long, 
V    Queenie    been   a   drippin'    ser   long,    'n'    de 
water  's  gotten  ser  deep  right  eroun'  'er  dat  - 
w'y,  she  's  drowndin' ! 

"'Oh,  shuh!'  'Manuel  say,  'Queenie's  drown- 
din'.  Well,  I  'spec'  we 's  'blige  fish  'er  out.' 
So  dey  each  tukken  a  KT  fedder  agin  fum  de  en' 
o'  Queenie's  coat  where's  stickin'  outen  de  water, 
'n'  start  a  fishin'  fer  'er  —  twell  praesen'ly, 
Queenie  she  jes'  ketch  hole  o'  one  o'  de  li'P  fedders 
'n'  dey  pull  'er  right  out.  'N'  den  she  'mence 
lookin'  eroun'  fer  'er  par'sol. 

"'Well,  now  we 's  gwine  home  'thout  no  mo' 
foolishness,'  'Manuel  say.  So  dey  start  off  down 
de  road  agin  in  de  row  wid  Queenie  las'  uv  all. 
'N'  nex'  dey  know,  de  win'  'mence  ter  blow! 
Oh,  my!  De  win'  it  jes'  'mence  ter  blow 
tur'ble! 

"'Jes'  keep  right 'long  after  me!'  'Manuel  say, 
r'al  nice  'n'  smilin',  'n'  he  turn  'is  haid  w'en  he 
spoke.  Well,  jes'  ez  he  turn  'is  haid  w'at  yer 
s'pose?  W'y,  it  come  up  a  tur'ble  gus'  o'  win,' 
'n'  Queenie,  she  jes'  blowed  right  away!  Ef 'tain' 


206  EZEKIEL 

been  fer  'er  par'sol  p'r'aps  she  wouldn'  'a'  went 
up  ser  easy.  But  'fo'  'Manuel  kin  do  a  thing  ter 
stop  'er,  w'y  she  's  clare  way  up,  'n'  still  a  blowin' 
'long  up,  up,  todes  de  sky,  wid  'er  par'sol  over 
'er  haid. 

"'Well,  ain't  she  r'al  mean  'n'  triflin'!'  'Manuel 
say,  'n'  co'se  all  de  li'P  'Manuels  look  eroun'  ter 
see  w'at  he  mean. 

"'W'y,  Queenie's  blowed  away!'  he  'splain 
to  'em/  'n'  I  jes'  ain'  gwine  bother  no  mo'  wid  'er 
'tall!'  So  co'se  dey  kep'  on  down  de  road  ez  ef 
'tain  nuthin'  'appen  ter  nobody.  But  w'at  yer 
s'pose?  Time  dey  gotten  in  de  yard  agin,  'n' 
start  ter  go  up  de  steps,  w'y,  dere  's  Queenie  a 
settin'  on  de  steps  jes'  where  de  win'  blowed  'er 
down.  'N'  she 's  cryin'  tur'ble  wid  'er  haid 
bu'y  in  'er  lap  —  cuz  she  's  los'  'er  par'sol !  It 's 
de  trufe!  It  jes'  kep'  on  a  blowin'  right  up  w'en 
de  win'  blowed  'er  down. 

"'Nev'  mine,'  'Manuel  say,  'I  reckon  't  would 
'a'  been  better  ef  yer  ain'  nuver  had  it.  'N' 
I  ain'  gwine  'low  nary  one  o'  yer  outen  de  house 
no  mo',  nurrer,  cuz  'tain'  been  nuthin'  but  trouble 
sence  we  start.'  So  'Manuel  'n'  all  de  li"l  'Manuels 
'n'  Queenie  went  in  de  house  agin,  'n'  he  set  'em 
all  down  on  de  li'l'  row  o'  cheers,  'n'  Queenie 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        207 

on  de  flo',  still  a  cryin'  'bout  'er  par'sol,  wid  'er 
haid  bu'y  in  'er  lap.  'N'  af  dat  he  jes'  keep  'em 
settin'  dere  in  de  row,  'n'  ain'  nuver  'low  'em  git 
up.  'N'  'tain'  no  use  fer  'em  ter  ax.  So  dey  jes' 
keep  on  a-settin'  dere  all  winter  'n'  all  summer 
twell  'mence  ter  git  mighty  wea'ysome.  'N'  one 
day  dey  'cide  dey's  set  dere  long  'nough.  So 
w'en  night  come  'n'  'Manuel 's  went  ter  sleep, 
dey  jes'  gotten  up  'n'  stretch  out  dey  arms  'n'  dey 
laigs,  'n'  den  dey  'cide  dey  '11  all  run  away.  So 
w'en  dey  foun'  de  do  's  lock,  w'y,  dey  look  up  ter 
de  winder  -  -  'n'  den  dey  putten  Queenie  right 
onder  de  winder  fer  a  kine  of  a  KT  ladder.  She 
ain't  r'ally  nuver  been  de  same  sence  she  los'  'er 
par'sol,  so  she  stan'  dere  'thout  no  trouble  't  all. 
'N'  den  yer  see  de  fus  li'P  boy  he  start  climbin' 
right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out  fru  de  winder. 
'N'  den  de  nex'  liT  boy  he  start  climbin'  right 
up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out  fru  de  winder,  'n' 
den  de  nex'  li'P  boy  he  start  climbin'  right  up  - 

"Yes!"  agreed  the  friend  enthusiastically, 
"until " 

"Start  climbin'  right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n' 
out  fru  de  winder,  'n'  den  de  nex'  liT  boy  he 
start  climbin'  right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out 
fru  de  winder,  'n'  den  de  nex'  liT  boy  - 


208  EZEKIEL 

"Yes!  We  understand!  Until  they  had  all 
gone  out  through  the  window!" 

Ezekiel's  voice  went  dropping  on  undisturbed. 

"'N'  den  de  nex'  HT  boy  he  start  climbin' 
right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out  fru  de  win 
der,  'n'  den  de  nex'  li'l'  boy - 

Both  the  Lady  and  her  friend  had  a  vision 
of  one  million  little  boys  standing  in  line  waiting 
to  climb  right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  and  out 
through  the  window.  The  friend  had  become 
speechless  at  the  prospect,  but  the  Lady  nobly 
came  to  the  rescue. 

"H'm!     Ezekiel!     Yes,  we  understand  about 
that !     We  understand  about   the  little    boys  - 
and  Queenie!     But   it's  getting  dark,    you  see, 
and  it 's  —  it 's  time  for  us  - 

Gently   it   flowed   on. 

"'N'  den  de  nex'  li'l'  boy  he  start  climbin' 
right  up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out  fru  de  win 
der,  'n'  den  de  nex'  li'l'  boy - 

"But  we  understand  perfectly!  Ezekiel!  We 
must  go  now!  We  must!" 

"'N'  den  de  nex'  li'l'  boy  he  start  climbin'  right 
up  atop  o'  Queenie  'n'  out  fru  de  winder  - 

Helplessly  she  looked  at  her  friend,  who  was 
reviving  with  an  inspiration. 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN        209 

"  Until  —  Queenie  —  dropped  —  down   stone  — 
dead!"    she   announced   distinctly,    unblushingly, 
finally,  without  a  quaver  of  emotion. 

Ezekiel' s  voice  suddenly  stopped  —  and  there 
was  a  pause.  The  Lady  looked  a  bit  startled 
and  glanced  at  her  friend.  Ezekiel  was 
looking  at  the  friend,  too.  He  continued 
to  look  with  a  long,  silent,  reproving  gaze. 
Then  he  spoke : 

"No'm,  she  ain'  -  -  drap  down  daid,"  he  remon 
strated  slowly  in  hurt,  even  tones. 

"Why,  of  course  not,"  put  in  the  Lady 
tactfully,  "come,  walk  a  little  way  with  us, 
Ezekiel,  and  tell  us  what  did  happen  to  her 
after  they  had  all  climbed  out." 

He  glanced  up  at  her  appealingly,  as  if  he 
were  seeking  protection  from  something  that 
had  rudely  startled  —  frightened  —  him,  and  his 
lip  trembled.  She  thought  he  was  going  to 
say  something  to  her  and  she  waited.  But 
his  eyes  moved  away  again  slowly  —  back  to 
the  friend. 

"Why,  of  course,  she  didn't  mean  anything 
at  all  I"  went  on  the  Lady,  and  they  moved 
from  under  the  trees  back  into  the  road.  "So 
tell  us"  -  and  she  looked  down  gently  at  the 


210  EZEKIEL 

hurt  little  face,  so  new,  so  unknown  to  her  — 
"what  did  become  of  her?" 

His  eyes  were  still  on  the  guilty  friend. 

"She  ain'--drap  down  —  daid,"  came  his 
voice  again,  evenly,  reproachfully. 

"I  know  it!  Of  course,"  put  in  the  friend 
humbly,  "I  was  just  joking.  What  did  become 
of  her?" 

The  road  divided.  Ezekiel  stepped  naturally 
into  the  one  which  led  another  way. 

"You  see  you  're  going  to  leave  us,"  she 
went  on  urgently,  "so  tell  us,  Ezekiel,  what 
really  did  become  of  her?" 

Wonderingly  the  sad  reproving  eyes  looked 
back  at  her  from  the  other  road. 

"  She  am'  -  -  drap  —  down  —  daid,"  he  mur 
mured,  and  his  small  feet  moved  on. 

They  glanced  at  each  other  uneasily. 

"We  should  have  been  more  patient  with 
him,"  finally  suggested  the  Lady  contritely. 

"But  he  was  n't  making  any  progress  at  all, 
you  know,"  returned  the  friend,  with  a  mournful 
twinkle  in  her  eye. 

"Any  progress  at  all?"  echoed  the  Lady 
thoughtfully,  and  turned  suddenly,  severely,  on 
her  friend. 


THE  INTERRUPTED  REIGN       211 

"  Have  n't  we  heard  something  like  that  before  ?" 
she  challenged,  "in  regard  to  a  —  a  larger 
Problem!  Her  eyes  burned  with  a  sudden 
hotly  kindled  fervour. 

"What  right  have  we  to  say  he  wasn't  mak 
ing  progress  —  when  we  were  too  impatient  to 
even  wait  and  see !  What  right  have  they  to  — 
to  —  oh,  my  dear,  my  dear"  -  her  voice  dropped 
unsteadily,  "we  must  all  have  things  so  —  so 
apparent  at  the  moment!  And  we  can't  wait 
because  —  because  God's  mills  grind  much  too 
slowly!  We  —  they  —  we  can't  wait  for  Him! 
Does  n't  it"  her  voice  came  in  a  startled 
whisper,  "doesn't  it  make  you  shudder? 
Doesn't  it  f-frighten  —  you?" 

Slowly  her  eyes  went  down  to  a  note-book 
still  held  in  her  hand,  and  she  dropped  it  as 
if  it  were  something  that  scorched  her. 

"Solution!"  she  murmured  in  a  dry,  stricken 
voice,  ' '  solution!"* ' 

Her  friend  looked  up  and  patted  her  gently 
on  the  back. 

"You're  taking  it  too  —  too  hard,  aren't 
you?  Don't!  It  doesn't  do  any  good  and 
everything  comes  out  right  —  in  time,  does  n't 
it?"  She  smiled  philosophically. 


212  EZEKIEL 

'•'In  time?  Yes  —  I  suppose,"  murmured  the 
other,  "but  —  but  the  unnecessary  broil  we're 
making  in  setting  ourselves  up  against  Nature 
and  — and  God!" 

They  looked  at  each  other  silently  for  a  long 
moment,  and  then  slowly  their  eyes  moved 
again  to  the  other  road. 

"Look  at  him!"  It  came  almost  like  a  sob. 
"Wandering  away  there  all  alone  with  no  one 
to  understand  or  —  or  sympathize  —  just  wan 
dering  away,  so  little  and  so  helpless  and  so 
-  so  unequal  —  to  it  all!" 

Her  friend  patted  her  again  gently  and  brushed 
quietly  at  her  own  eyes. 

Then  they  both  glanced  unseeingly  down 
at  a  note-book  crushed  in  the  dust  and  went 
on  down  their  own  road. 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS 


V  i  KEEP  ON  A-WUKKIN'  ON  DK  PAFF 


XI 

HIS    NEED    OF   MIS'    SIMONS 

JES'  look,  Miss  No'th!  Looker  w'at  's  comin' 
down  de  road!" 

Miss  North  turned  her  head  inquiringly,  and 
Ezekiel  continued  to  comment  enthusiastically. 

"It's  ole  Arch'baP  Smiff,"  he  declared  with 
lively  appreciation,  though  in  the  near  distance 
Archibald  failed  to  look  as  aged  as  Ezekiel 
might  have  led  one  to  expect.  "Yas'm,  'tis; 
dat  's  ole  Arch'baP  Smiff.  Now,  w'at  dey-all 
doin'  'im  dat-a-way  fer?  Look,  Miss  No'th! 
Dey 's  jes'  &-chasm'  'im  down  de  road!" 

Miss  North  stopped  a  moment  and  glanced 
back  at  the  rapidly  approaching  Archibald. 

"They  are  probably  just  chasing  him  for  fun, 
aren't  they?"  she  began,  reassuringly. 

"'Tain'  no  fun  ter  git  w'ite  men  chasm'  after 
yer  dat-a-way,"  objected  Ezekiel. 

There  were  excited  shouts  from  the  passing, 
jostling  runners,  and  Archibald  turned  and  cast 


216  EZEKIEL 

a  momentary  exalted,  half -dramatic  smile  on 
Miss  North. 

"They  are  just  in  fun,  you  see.  Come,  Eze- 
kiel,  I  want  you  to  go  on  with  me,  and  bring 
back  some  books  that  I  order;  will  you  ?" 

"Yas'm  —  yas'm,  I'll  go  on  wid  yer,  Miss 
No'th;  but  look  like  ole  w'ite  men  's  gwine  ketch 
'im,  too,  doan't  it?" 

"Catch  him?  No.  Why  should  they  want 
to  catch  him?" 

"Cert'nly  make  me  think  'bout  de  time 
dey  all  come  a-chasin'  af  Jonah  w'en  I  'se 
ter  Mis'  Simons'.  'N'  I  reckon,  ef  'tain' 
been  fer  Mis'  Simons,  dey  'd  'a'  ketch  'im, 
too.  But  Mis'  Simons  she  jes'  'ntirely  dis' range 
dey  plans." 

"How  did  she  do  that?"  questioned  Miss 
North,  suddenly  interested. 

"W'y,  she  jes'  done  it,"  explained  Ezekiel, 
explicitly. 

"I  see;  but  —  how?  Did  Jonah  get  into 
some  —  some  trouble?" 

"Ya-as,  ma'am!  'N'  he  jes'  did!"  assured 
Ezekiel  dramatically;  "but  Mis'  Simons  she  jes' 
completely  dis'range  de  whul  plan.  W'y,  yer 
see,  it  wuz  de  ve'y  day  de  Cap'm  went  off  ter 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        217 

de  ho'se  fair,  'n'  lef  'er  all  'lone  wid  jes  me  'n' 
Sarah  'n'  Marg'ret  'n'  — 'well,  he  would  'a' 
lef  'er  wid  Jonah,  too,  but,  yer  see,  Mis'  Simons 
she  foun'  she  's  'blige  sen'  Jonah  on  a  r'al  'mpor- 
tant  erran'.  'T  wuz  'long  'bout  free  o'clock  in 
de  evenin',  'n'  I  'se  in  de  gyarden  a-waterinj 
de  yaller  lily-baid,  'n'  Jonah  he 's  a-hoein' 
on  de  li'P  pafT  where  cut  'roun'  siden  de  baid, 
w'en  Mis'  Simons  step  up  'n'  say,  '  Jonah,'  she 
say,  'I  want  yer  ter  stop  a-hoein'  'n'  do  a  erran' 
fer  me,'  she  say. 

"'Yas'm,'  Jonah  answer  'er.  Yer  see,  Jonah 
think  a  awful  heap  o'  Mis'  Simons,  'n'  allays 
seem  ter  wanter  do  jes'  like  she  ax  'im  ter'.  Co'se, 
ef  he  ain't  wanter,  w'y,  I  s'pose  he  'd  'a'  did 
it  jes'  same  anyway,  but  he  jes'natchelly  is  wanter. 
So,  'Yas'm,'  he  say,  'n'  Mis'  Simons  'mence 
tellin'  'im  all  'bout  it.  She  look  up  in  de  sky 
ez  she 's  talkin',  too,  at  de  sun,  where 's  shinin' 
righ'  down  stret  inter  de  yaller  lilies,  'n'  she  say: 
' Co'se  yer '11  be  back  'fo'  dark,  Jonah;  doan'  be 
no  longer  'n  yer  's  'blige  ter,  cuz  we  wants  yer 
back  'fo'  dark.' 

"'N'  Jonah  smile  at  'er  'n'  say  he  '11  go  'long 
right  smart,  'n'  Mis'  Simons  smile  back  at  'im 
'n'  say,  well,  not  ter  kill  'isself  'bout  it;  'n'  den 


2i8  EZEKIEL 

Jonah  he  lef  us  dere  siden  de  lily-bdd,  'n'  de 
sun  a-shinin'  down  jes'  same. 

""Zekiel,'  Mis'  Simons  'mence  after  w'ile,  'n' 
'er  voice  soun'  kine  o'  slow  'n'  dreamin'  like, 
'  'Zekiel,  does  yer  s'pose  yer  '11  ever  git  ter  be  's 
good  a  man  's  Jonah  ?' 

"'Wha'm?'  I  say,  kine  o'  s'prise  w'en  she  ax 
me  right  out  like  dat.  'Yas'm,  I  s'pose  I  is, 
Mis'  Simons,'  I  say. 

"She  look  at  me  r'al  quick  'n'  laf,  same  way  I 
seen  'er  do  ser  many  times  befo'. 

"'I  doubt  it,'  she  say,  still  a-smilin';  'I  doubt 
it,  'Zekiel.' 

"Well,  co'se  I  ain'  know  jes? 'zackly  w'at  she 
mean  talkin'  dat-a-way,  but  look  'mos'  like 
she  think  I  ain't  ser  good  's  Jonah  is,  'n',  anyway, 
I  ain't  r'ally  like  way  she  spoke,  so,  'Yas'm,'  I 
say,  'I  reckon  I  kin  be  jes'  ez  good  's  Jonah!'  I 
say,  'n'  —  'n'  I  did  n'  'mence  ter  cry,  nudder, 
but  --  but  I  'mence  hoein'  on  de  HT  paff, 
'n'  waterin'  de  yaller  lilies,  twell  Mis'  Simons 
pat  me  light  'n'  sof  on  de  haid  —  kine  o' 
laffin',too. 

"'W'y,  yes,  co'se  'Zekiel,'  she  say,  'co'se 
yer's  gwine  be  ez  good's  Jonah!  'N'  I  jes' 
reckon  yer  '11  be  'blige  tek  'is  place  now  twell 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        219 

he  gits  back,  too !  W'y  —  w'y,  I  could  n'  git 
'long  'thout  yer  noways,  could  I  'Zekiel?'  She 
ben'  down  while  she  's  talkin'  'n'  pick  a  yaller 
lily  fum  de  baid.  '  Jes'  see  it  ketch  de  sun!'  she 
say.  'Doan't  it  look  like  gole  a-shinin'!  Doan't 
yer  reckon  I  better  tek  a  whul  bunch  ter  Mis' 
Myers,  'Zekiel?'  she  say.  '  She's  sick,  yer 
know  —  po'  Mis'  Myers !' 

"'Yas'm,'  I  answer  'er,  'n'  'mence  pickin'  de 
bunch  fer  'er. 

UON'  you'll  tek  cyare  o'  de  place  w'ile  I  Jse 
gone,  won't  yer,  'Zekiel  ?  I  kin  trus'  yer  jes' 
same 's  I  kin  Jonah,  cyan't  I  ?  Ya'as,  co'se. 
I  ain'  gwine  be  gone  ve'y  long,  nudder,'  she 
say;  'jes'  long  'nough  ter  give  Mis'  Myers  de 
flowers,  'n'  talk  a  li'P,  or  p'r'aps  read  a  KT  - 
'n'  same  time  she  's  tellin'  me  'bout  it  she  'mence 
walkin'  off  down  de  paff. 

."Praesn'ly  she  turn  'roun'  ag'in,  'n'  I  kin  see 
'er  tekkin'  one  o'  de  lilies  fum  de  bunch  'n' 
puttin'  it  in  'er  dress.  Den  she  put  'er  han'  up 
to  'er  haid  quick,  like  she  's  thought  o'  sump'n 
she  oughter  'membered  'fo'. 

" "Zekiel!'  she  say.     'N'  I  run  up  to  'er  fas'  's 
I  kin. 

'"  'Zekiel,  tell  Jonah  I  —  I  forgot!'  she  w'isper 


220  EZEKIEL 

to  me,  'n'  she  look  r'al  w'ite  'n'  strange.  'Tell 
'im  —  no  -  'n'  she  seem  ter  change  'er  mine, 
'no,  I  ain'  gwine,  after  all.  I  '11  wait  yere  twell 
he  comes.' 

"Co'se  I  ain'  know  w'at  'tis  Mis'  Simons 
'membered  'bout  ser  quick,  'n'  I  ain'  r'ally 
wanter  ax  'er,  nudder;  so  I  jes'  stood  dere  a-lookin' 
after  'er  w'ile  she  walk  off  ter  de  liT  arbour  in  de 
gyarden  'n'  se'  down  on  de  seat.  She  look 
kine  o'  lonesome,  too,  a-settin'  dere  all  'lone, 
'n'  I  start  gwine  after  'er  ter  ax  'er  w'at 's  de 
matter.  But  time  I  gotten  dere  I  did  n'  r'ally 
like  ter  trouble  'er,  so  I  jes'  stood  dere  quiet  by 
de  do',  a-lookin'  in. 

"'Well,  'Zekiel,'  she  'mence  praesen'ly,  'did 
yer  want  sump'n'  ?' 

"'No'm,'  I  say,  kine  o'  wishin'  I  ain'  come, 
'no'm,  but,  I  'se  studyin'  a  li'P  'bout  yer,  Mis' 
Simons  -  -  'n'  won'erin'  did  sump'n'  -  -  frighten 
yer?' 

"She  smile  den,  'n'  hel'  out  'er  han'. 

"'No,  no,  my  chile,'  she  say,  lookin'  mo' 
like  she  useter  'gin,  "tain'  nuthin'  frighten  me; 
I  'se  jes'  thinkin'  'bout  sump'n'  -  - 1  oughter 
'membered  'fo'.  'T  wuz  ve'y  thoughtless  o'  me 
—  ter  fergit!'  she  say  low  like  to  'erself,  Den, 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        221 

"Zekiel,'  she  'mence  ag'in,  ' 'ow  long  does  yer 
reckon  it 's  gwine  tek  Jonah  ter  git  back?' 

"'I  dunno'm,  Mis'  Simons,'  I  say,  'but  I 
reckon  he  '11  be  back  right  soon  now,  too.' 

"'Couldrt  tek  'im  mo'n  a  hour,  could  it? 
she  ask,  jes'  ez  ef  I  knowed  all  'bout  it. 

"'No'm,'  I  say,  '  could  n'  tek  'im  mo'n  a 
hour.' 

"She  look  up  r'al  bright  at  me  den,  'n'  prae- 
sen'ly  look  down  at  de  flowers  in  'er  han'. 

"'I  reckon  you'll  be  'blige  tek  'em  ter  Mis' 
Myers,  won't  yer,  'Zekiel?'  she  'mence.  But 
she  stop  quick  'gin,  lookin'  same  way  she  did 
'fo',  w'en  she  put  'er  han'  up  to  'er  haid. 

"'No!'  she  say,  'doan't  yer  go  outen  de  yard 
ter-day,  'Zekiel!  Yer  won't  go  'way  ter-day, 
will  yer,  'Zekiel?' 

'"W'y,  no'm,'  I  say,  won'erin'  w'at  she 
mean;  'no'm,  I  ain'  gwine  'way  'n'  leave  yer, 
Mis'  Simons.' 

She  smile  ag'in,  'n'  lay  down  de  flowers,  'n' 
den  she  tuk  up  a  book  where  's  layin'  on  de  seat. 

'"Dat  's  a  good  liT  boy,'  she  say;  'now  go  'n' 
hoe  de  weeds  outen  de  gyarden  paff,  same  way 
Jonah  's  doin'  'fo'  he  went.' 

"So  I  went  back  ter  de  paff  by  de  lilies,  'n' 


222  EZEKIEL 

start  in  ter  wuk  right  smart.  But,  co'se,  eve'y 
liT  w'ile  I  'range  ter  git  jes'  enough  time  ter 
look  at  Mis'  Simons,  too  a-settin'  in  de  arbour 
wid  'er  book;  'n'  praesn'ly  'mence  ter  look  like 
she 's  mos'  forgotten  where  she 's  at,  she 's 
a-readin'  ser  hard.  Mus'  'a'  been  mo'n  a  hour 
sence  Jonah  went  'way,  too,  but  she  keep  on 
a-readin',  'n'  I  keep  on  a-wukkin'on  de  paff,  jes' 
wukkin'  'long  same  's  befo',  twell  bime-by  I  'se 
jes'  'blige  se'  down  'n'  res'  a  liT  myself.  But 
Mis'  Simons  she  ain'  look  up  'tall.  'N'  after  I 
'mence  ter  feel  kine  o'  rested  'n'  mo'  like  wuk, 
w'y,  co'se  I  got  up  'n'  start  in  hoein'  ag'in,  'n' 
dere  's  Mis'  Simons  still  a-settin'  dere  readin' 
jes'  same  's  befo' !  De  sun  's  gittin'  kine  o' 
low,  too,  'n'  look  like  she  gwine  git  cotch  in 
de  dark  ef  she  ain'  cyarful,  so  I  drap  my  hoe 
in  de  grass  'n'  step  'long  up  ter  de  li'l'  arbour 
'n'  se'  down  on  de  step.  Mis'  Simons  kine  o' 
start-like  w'en  she  seen  me,  'n'  put  down  'er 
book  'n'  raise  'er  han's  up  slow  'n'  sleepy-like 
to  'er  eyes. 

"<W'at  time  is  it,  'Zekiel?'  she  say. 

"De  clock  wuz  strikin'  six,  time  I  drap  my 
hoe  down  in  de  grass,  so  I  tole  'er  'bout  it. 

"'Six!'  she  say,  a-jumpin'  off  'er  seat,     'Six 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        223 

er-clock!     'N'  am'  Jonah  come?     Ain'  he  come 
yit,  'Zekiel?' 

"'No'm,  he  ain't, '  I  say,  cuz  he  ain\,  so  w'at 
else  is  it  I  kin  say?  'No'm,  he  ain\'  I  say. 

""N'  he  's  been  gone  long  'nough  to  've  gone 
free  times  at  leas'!'  she  w'isper  un'er  'er  bref. 
'Oh,  w'at  is  I  done!  Jonah,  Jonah,  w'y  doarft 
yer  come  back!' 

"'I  reckon  he'll  be  back  right  soon,  now,'  I 
say,  cuz  cert'nly  make  me  feel  bad  ter  see  Mis' 
Simons  look  dat-a-way.  'Doan't  yer  reckon 
he  will?'  I  say. 

"But  she  jes' shuk  'er  haid  awful  sad  'n'  slow- 
like. 

"'I'se    'fraid  —  I 'se    'fraid    sump'n's    'appen 
to   'im,    'Zekiel/    she   answer.     'I--I   sent   'im 
de    ve'y    place  —  where    it 's    awful    trouble  - 
gwine   on   ter-day!     I   sent    'im,    'Zekiel,    'thout 

- 'thout  'memberin'  w'at  I  knowed!' 

"Well,  I  ain't  r'ally  know  'ow  ter  answer  'er 
dat  time,  so  I  jes'  did  n'  make  no  'sponse  'tall. 

"'Come,'  she  say,  'we  mus'  go  in  de  house, 
'Zekiel;  it's  gittin'  dark.' 

"It  seem  awful  long  after  we 's  in  de  house, 
'n'  praesn'ly,  it  's  sech  a  warm  evenin',  Mis' 
Simons  went  out  on  de  poach.  But  she  mus' 


224  EZEKIEL 

V  feel  kine  o'  strange  'n'  lonesome,  too,  'cuz 
praesn'ly  she  ax  Sarah  'n'  Marg'ret  won't  dey 
come  out  'n'  set  dere  fer  a  HT  w'ile. 

"'It's  time  fer  you  ter  go  ter  baid,  ain't  it, 
'Zekiel?'  she  say;'n'  I  jes'  start  ter  tell  'er,  'No'm, 
I  doan'  reckon  't  is,'  w'en  it  come  de  stranges' 
noise  out  dere  in  de  yard.  Look  like  some 
body  's  runnin'  ser  fas'  he  cyan't  sca'cely  breve, 
'n'  all  time  comin'  right  'long  fru  de  grass  todes 
de  steps. 

"'Mis'  Simons!  Mis'  Simons!'  somebody 
w'isper,  awful  hoarse  'n'  strange-like.  'N'  w'at 
yer  s'pose  ?  W'y,  it 's  jes'  /0-nah,  a-tearin' 
right  'long  up  de  steps! 

"'Lemme  go  in,  Mis'  Simons!  Please  lemme 
go  in!'  he  keep  on  w'isperin',  like  he  cyan't 
sca'cely  breve.  'Dey's  after  me,  Mis'  Simons! 
Dey 's  gwine  git  me!  'N'  yer  knows  I  ain' 
done  a  thing  to  'em,  Mis'  Simons!  Oh,  w'at  's 
dey  a-chasin'  me  fer?  I--I  ain'  done  a  thing  I9 

"Yas'm,  dat  's  jes'  de  way  he  talk,  'n'  'mos' 
look  like  he  's  gwine  fall  righ'  down,  too,  twell 
Mis'  Simons  tuk  hole  uv  'is  arm,  kine  o'  shekkin' 
'im,  like,  'n'  turn  'roun'  ter  de  do'. 

"'Go  in,  Jonah!  Quick!'  she  say.  Cuz 
dey  's  voices  'n'  folks  a-runnin'  'n'  holl'in'  right 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        225 

dere  in  de  yard.  She  seem  ter  jes'  push  'im  in 
'n'  shet  de  do';  'n'  den  she  stan'  up,  lookin' 
ser  stret  'n'  w'ite-like,  did  n'  look  r'ally  like 
Mis'  Simons. 

" '  'Tain'  gwine  nobody  else  git  —  fru  —  dat  - 
do','  she  say,  ser  low  could  n'  nobody  sca'cely 
hyeah  it;  'n'  den,  oh,  't  wuz  jes' awful!  Dey 
all  come  a-knockin'  up  'ginst  de  steps,  'n'  a-holl'in 
'n'  a-pushin',  'n'  some  uv  'em  laffin',  'n'  some  uv 
'em  cursin',  'n'  all  uv  'em  holl'in'  'bout  de  nigger, 
'n'  tellin'  Mis'  Simons  ter  bring  out  de  nigger! 

"'N'  w'at  yer  s'pose?  Mis'  Simons  she  jes' 
stan'  dere  same  's  ever,  a-lookin'  down  on  'em 
wid  'er  back  ter  de  do'. 

"' Bring  'im  out!'  dey  keep  on  a-holl'in'. 
1  Bring  'im  out!' 

"'N'  'er  face  look  all  w'ite  'n'  dazzlin'  in 
de  light,  'n'  'er  voice  come  low  'n'  kine  o'  shek- 
kin'  like.  'No,'  she  say,  'I  cert'nly  is  not  gwine 
-  bring  'im  out,'  she  say.  Yas'm,  dat 's  jes' 
de  s'ponse  she  make.  'N'  den  dey  all  'mence 
holl'in'  ag'in  'bout  crim'nal  'n'  -  -  'n'  murd'rer, 
'n'  sayin'  does  she  want  'em  ter  go  in  a/-ter  'im, 
'n'  buntin'  up  'ginst  de  steps  ag'in,  'n'  jostlin' 
'n'  pushin',  twell  Mis'  Simons  kine  o'  step  forrad 
a  li'P,  still  a-lookin'  down  at  'em. 


226  EZEKIEL 

"•'  Ain't  yer  'shame!'  she  say.     lOh  —  ain't - 
yer --' 'shame /'     'N'  I  'clare,  ez  she  stood  dere, 
seem  like  I  ain'  nuver  seed  'er  eyes  look  ser  clare 
V  burnin'-like,  ner  1er  face  ser  dazzlin'  w'ite. 

"'He's  jes' ez  innercent  uv  any  crime  —  ez 
I  is,'  she  say.      'I  knows  it,  cuz  I  knows  'im,' 
she  say;  "n'  -  -  you  knows  it!    Ef  yer  doan't  - 
it 's   cuz   yer    doan't   cyare   'nough    'bout   it  - 
ter  —  fine  —  out ! ' 

"It 's  one  r'al  big  man  where  seem  ter  be  kine 
o'  mekkin'  all  de  res'  uv  'em  do  jes'  like  he  done, 
'n'  fum  de  ve'y  time  Mis'  Simons  'mence  ter 
speak  he  jes'  stood  dere  a-lookin'  at  'er  like  he 
cyan't  move  ner  holler. 

" '  Yer  —  doan't  cyare  'nough  'bout  it  —  ter  - 
fine  out!'  she  say;  '  'n'  den  dis  yere  's  de  kine  o' 
thing  yer  do !     Oh,  it 's  de  kine  o'  thing  we  's 
'blige  answer   fer  —  eve'y   day!' she  w'isper.    'N' 
she  stop,  kine  o'  gasp  in'  like,  ter  ketch  'er  bref. 

"Well,  de  ve'y  same  time  she  stop,  de  big 
man  turn  'roun'  awful  quick  'n'  look  off  r'al 
sudden  at  de  road,  'n'  den  he  look  at  de  res' 
where  's  cursin'  'n'  lafrin  - 

"Ezekiel!"  interrupted  Miss  North  in  a 
sharp  whisper,  catching  at  his  arm.  Then  her 
hand  dropped,  and  she  looked  around  her. 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS       227 

"  Don't  you  see,  Ezekiel?"  she  went  on  nat 
urally.  "We  are  almost  there.  And  —  wait, 
Ezekiel;  stay  right  here;  don't  hurry  so.  Wait, 
stay  close  to  me!  There  seems  to  be--  some 
trouble." 

"It's  Arch'bal',  Miss  No'th!"  he  began,  his 
voice  rising  excitedly.  "Dey's  cotch  'im!  I 
tole  yer  dey 's  gwine  cotch  'im,  Miss  No'th! 
Look,  Miss  No'th!" 

Just  then  a  big  Negro  broke  in  on  the  scene, 
and  suddenly  Archibald  was  at  large  again, 
dashing  through  the  crazy  crowd  in  one  direc 
tion,  while  the  big  Negro  ran  in  another.  In 
the  confusion  that  followed,  Miss  North  put 
her  hand  out  for  Ezekiel,  to  find  that  he  was 
not  there,  while  Ezekiel,  looking  distractedly 
for  Miss  North,  found  himself  pushed  on  in  the 
crowd  of  jostling,  swearing  men. 

"Oh,  look  out!"  he  gasped;  "yer 's  pushin'  me! 
Yer  —  yer 's  steppin'  on  me!  Oh,  turn  me  loose!" 

"Get  out  o'  yere!"  a  coarse  voice  called  in  his 
ear,  "You  '11  get  killed,  'n'  good  riddance  if 
you  do!" 

He  felt  them  closing  in  over  him,  while  he  slipped 
to  the  ground  —  tramping  on  over  him,  pushing, 
tramping  01?  while,  a  limp,  wounded  little  heap,  he 


228  EZEKIEL 

tried  to  raise  his  head,  and  felt  it  knock  back 
again  in  the  dust. 

"  Mis'  -  -  Mis'  Simons  —  would  n'  nuver  'a' 
let  yer  —  done  me  —  dat-a-way!"  he  whispered 
vaguely.  He  raised  his  head  again,  feeling 
confusedly  for  it  as  he  sat  *up,  gazing  stupidly 
around.  Then  he  pulled  himself  to  his  feet  and 
limped  aimlessly  around  in  a  circle. 

" Where's  I  gwine?"  he  mumbled.  "Mis9 
Simons!  .  .  .  Mis'  Simons  —  would  n'  nuver 
'a'  let  yer  —  done  me  —  dat-a-way!"  He  stumb- 
bled  off  across  the  sidewalk  into  the  grass, 
unheeded  by  a  still  confused,  noisy  crowd.  In 
the  grass  he  still  stumbled  on. 

"Mis'  Simons  —  would  n'  nuver  'a'  let  yer - 
'a'    let    yer  —  done    me  -  As    he    slipped 

down  again  into  the  grass,  his  eyes  closed. 

A  crowd  of  angry,  excited  men  seemed  to  be 
still  before  him  —  but  Mrs.  Simons  stood  with 
her  back  to  the  door,  looking  down  at  them 
with  a  white  face.  From  a  step  beside  her  he 
seemed  to  be  still  looking  up  at  her,  while  her 
low,  vibrating  voice  seemed  to  be  still  echoing 
-  echoing : 

"Oh,  aren't  you  ashamed  of  yourselves! 
Are  n't  —  you  —  ashamed!" 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        229 

With  their  reckless,  brutish  faces  flickering 
before  him  again,  he  thought  he  was  watching 
only  her  —  watching  —  while  her  low  voice  went 
vibrating  on  —  till  they  turned  from  her,  swear 
ing  and  laughing!  And  then  she  was  stretch 
ing  out  her  white  hand,  catching  at  one  of  the 
pillars,  while  she  slipped  down  —  down  beside 
him  on  the  step  —  and  her  arms  fell  around 
him  helplessly. 

"You  '11  —  take  —  care  of  me!"  she  whispered 
faintly,  "won't  you  —  Ezekiel!" 

"Yas'm,"  came  up  a  broken  whisper  from  the 
grass,  "I  '11  tek  cyare  o'  yer,  Mis'  Simons!" 

But  there  was  another  low  voice  which  he 
did  not  understand,  and  his  eyes  opened  wide, 
looking  up  vacantly  at  Miss  North. 

1 1  Ezekiel !  Have  you  —  have  you  —  been  hurt  ? 
Ezekiel " 

"Yas'm,  I  reckon  I  is,  Mis'  Simons,  jes'  a 
KT,"  he  mumbled,  struggling  painfully  to  his 
feet;  "but  I '11  —  tek  cyare  o'  yer  —  I '11  tek 
cyare  o'  yer,  Mis'  Simons!" 

The  next  morning  he  sat  in  his  seat  at  school, 
watching  Miss  North  with  large,  absent  eyes. 
"You  ought  not  to  have  come  this  morning, 


230  EZEKIEL 

Ezekiel,"  she  began  gently,  as  her  eyes  rested 
on  his  thin,  wistful  little  face;  "I  don't  think 
you  ought  to  stay." 

"Yas'm,  I  oughter  stay,  Miss  No'th,"  he 
assured  her,  with  a  faint  smile.  His  eyes  wan 
dered  to  the  window. 

"Did  dey  ketch  'im?"  he  questioned  sud 
denly.  "Did  dey  ketch  Arch'bal',  Miss  No'th?" 
"No,"  she  answered,  a  sudden  hot  colour 
rising  up  in  her  cheeks.  "Archibald  's  gone  away; 
they  can't  find  him.  But  he  —  he  need  n't 
have.  They  found  out  it  was  a  mistake;  he 
was  n't  the  one  they  wanted." 

"Mis'  Simons  oughter  'a'  been  yere  —  ain' 
she?"  he  went  on  dreamily.  "She  would  n' 
nuver  'a'  let  'em  —  done  'im  —  dat-a-way! 
Would  she,  Miss  No'th?" 

"No!"  she  answered,  her  voice  startling  him 
out  of  his  dream,  while  the  colour  deepened 
painfully  in  her  cheeks.  "Remember  always, 
Ezekiel,  she  wouldn't  have  let  them!  And 
remember"  -her  voice  softened  —  "she's  your 
friend,  because  —  she  wouldn't  have  let  them!" 
Miss  North's  eyes  wandered  dreamily  now,  and  she 
seemed  to  have  forgotten  her  audience.  "  Remem 
ber,  there  are  always  the  others,  too  —  the 


HIS  NEED  OF  MIS'  SIMONS        231 

coarse  and  the  brutal,  who  are  only  glad  of  an 
excuse  —  and  they  can  stamp  their  whole  peo 
ple  —  very  coarsely.  But  remember,  Ezekiel," 
her  eyes  gazed  fixedly  ahead,  "it  isn't  the  fault 
of  the  best  ones;  it's  the  fault  of  the  worst  - 
who  always  snatch  at  an  excuse,  and  who 
will  —  just  as  long  as  they  're  allowed." 

Her  eyes  fell  on  Ezekiel  again,  who  was  look 
ing  at  her  in  wide  perplexity. 

"What    is    it,    Ezekiel?"    she    smiled.     "Oh, 
yes,  I  was  just  saying  —  about  Mrs.  Simons  - 
she  was  always  vefy  good  to  you,  was  n't  she, 
Ezekiel?" 

"  Yas'm,  Mis'  Simons  cert'nly  was  good  ter 
me."  Again  it  was  Ezekiel's  eyes  that  dreamed 
with  languid,  velvety  moistness. 

"Remember  —  that  she's  —  one  of  the  best, 
Ezekiel!" 

"Yas'm,"  came  the  gentle  response;  " could  n' 
be  nobuddy  no  better  'n  —  Mis'  Simons!" 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE 


HE  AIN'  SEEN  NARY  THING  'SCUSIN'  A  OLE  FAT  B'AR 
A-TIPPIN'  ROUN'  DE  CO'NER  " 


XII 

EZEKIEL   IN    EXILE 

MISS  NORTH  looked  round  on  her 
children  suggestively.  Then  they  all 
remembered.  It  was  Friday  afternoon  —  surely! 
when,  as  a  last  fling  in  the  line  of  mental  versa 
tility  and  agility,  they  told  stories  and  did  other 
queer  things  —  surely !  This  was  Miss  North's 
Friday  afternoon  expression  —  surely ! 

"Children,"  she  began,  "who  remembers  the 
story  that  /  told  you  last  Friday?" 

There  were  various  demonstrations  and  symp 
toms  of  remembrance. 

"You  remember  it,  Thomas?  Could  you  tell 
it  to  the  others?  Very  well.  Come  down  in 
front,  so  that  they  can  all  hear  you." 

Thomas  looked  rather  sheepish  after  having 
actually  "come  down  in  front,"  and,  with  his  head 
dropped  and  quite  completely  buried  in  the 
top  opening  of  his  coat,  and  his  feet  describing 
semicircles  with  his  heels  as  pivots,  began  to 

235 


236  EZEKIEL 

mumble  and  grumble  in  a  style  both  inexcusable 
and  awful. 

"Why,  Thomas!"  objected  Miss  North,  scan 
dalized.  "No  one  can  hear  one  word  you  are 
saying.  Hold  your  head  up,  Thomas.  Now 
talk  distinctly!" 

Thomas  wheeled  and  pivoted  and  piroutted, 
and  again  began  to  mumble  and  grumble  both 
inexcusably  and  awfully. 

"Thomas!  You  will  really  have  to  take 
your  seat.  No  one  has  the  slightest  idea  what 
you  are  talking  about.  Now,  who  can  tell  it 
so  dis-tinct-ly  that  we  can  hear  ev-er-y  word? 
Would  you  like  to  try,  Archelus?" 

"Yas'm,"  agreed  Archelus  in  sprightly,  hope 
ful  tones,  and  with  delightful  self-assurance 
advanced  to  the  front. 

"It's  'bout  a  gr-et,  big  ole  ox  'n'  a  liT  ole 
bullfrog.  'N'  one  day  liT  ole  bullfrog  come 
'long  home  —  say : 

"'W'at  yer  s'pose  I  seen?  W'y,  doan't  yer 
know,  I  seen  sech  a  gr-et,  b-i-g  —  sech  a  gr-et 
big  an'mul!' 

"'N'  udder  ole  bullfrog  say: 

""Ow  big?  Ez  big's  dis?'  'N'  he  huff  'n' 
puff  up  r'al  big. 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  237 

"'N'  liT  bullfrog  say: 

"<Oh,  g'long!  Dat  ain'  nuth'n.  Co'se  big's 
dat!  Ain't  I  jes'  tole  yer?' 

"'N'   udder  ole  bullfrog  begins  a-huffin'   'n' 
a-puffin'  'gin,  twell  look  like  she  gwine  bus'  - 
say: 

"'Ezbig'sdis?' 

"'N'liT  ole  frog  say: 

"'Ya'as,  ma'am!  Ez  big's  dat!  'N'  yer 
could  n'  git  ser  big  ef  yer  puff  up  twell  yer  bus' ! ' 

"'N'   udder  ole   frog   begins   a-puffin   up   'n' 
jes'  a-puffin'  up,  'n'  keep  on  jes'  a-puffin'  up  - 
twell  he  puff  up  ser  big  he  cyan'  git  no  bigger, 
so  he  jes'  bus'  righ'  clean  in  two!" 

"So  he  just  burst  right  —  so  he  just  burst  in 
two,"  suggested  Miss  North. 

"Yas'm.  So  he  jes'  burs'  righ'  clean  in  two." 
And  Archelus  returned  to  his  seat,  followed  by 
admiring  eyes. 

"Yes;  that  is  what  is  called  a  fable,  children," 
explained  Miss  North,  with  an  uneasy  feeling 
of  being  haunted  by  the  shades  of  ^Esop.  "Does 
any  one  know  who  wrote  that  fable?" 

"Mr.  Eee-sop,"  volunteered  Thomas. 

"Yes,  /Esop,"  and  Miss  North  wrote  it  in 
large  letters  on  the  board. 


238  EZEKIEL 

"  There  was  another  fable  of  ^sop's  which  I 
think  I  told  you  last  Friday,  too.  Can  any  one 
remember  that  one?" 

There  was  a  perfect  rush  of  applicants. 

"Well,  Hezzy,  suppose  you  tell  this  one." 

Hezzy  was  the  smallest  one  to  be  found  any 
where,  and  therefore  needed  encouragement. 
Hezzy  also  had  a  little  voice  which  was  very 
much  inclined  to  lisp,  and  which  resembled  the 
thin  little  squeak  of  a  cricket  as  much  as  any 
thing  else,  and  there  were  many  delighted  grins 
and  even  an  occasional  arrested  chuckle  at  the 
prospect  of  an  offering  from  Hezzy.  Grinning 
somewhat  shyly  himself,  but  appreciatively, 
nevertheless,  Hezzy  tripped  to  the  front  and 
began  to  squeak  fluently: 

"Onth  ith  a  ole  crow  a-thettin'  up  in  a  tree 
a-eatin'    cheethe.     Twell    a    fox    come    'long  - 
thay: 

"'W'at  a  nithe  voithe  yer  muth  hev,  Mitheth 
Crow!  Thert'nly  witht  I  could  hyeah  yer 
thing!' 

"  'N'  ole  crow  jeth  keep  on  a-thettin'  in  de 
tree  a-eatin'  cheethe. 

111  Thert'nly  witht  I  could  hyeah  yer  thing!' 
ole  fox  thay.  But  ole  crow  jeth  keep  on  a-thettin' 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  239 

in  de  tree  a-eatin'  cheethe.  Twell  ole  fox  jeth 
bulk  right  out: 

"'Oh,  Mitheth  Crow,  I  thert'nly  jeth  witht  I 
could  hyeah  yer  thing!' 

"'N'ole  Mitheth  Crow,  co'th  she  feel  ther 
nithe  w'en  she  hyeah  dat,  she  jeth  drap  'er 
cheethe  outen  'er  mouf  on  de  groun',  'n'  ole  fox 
jeth  pick  it  up  'n'  run  off  laffinV 

"Yes-  — "  conceded  Miss  North  in  half- 
doubtful  tones.  "Has  any  one  another  story  to 
tell  ?  Perhaps  one  that  I  have  never  heard  ?" 

Two  or  three  hands  arose  falteringly,  Ezekiel' s 
with  confidence- 

"Is  it  a  true  story,  Ezekiel?" 

"Yas'm  —  no'm  —  yas'm."  And  Ezekiel  arose 
importantly  and  came  down  to  the  front  of 
the  room.  But  at  just  this  point  the  door 
opened,  and  a  solitary  strolling  visitor  stepped 
into  the  room.  He  had  an  appreciative,  expec 
tant  look  on  his  face,  as  if  he  had  been  expe 
riencing  rare  delights  and  was  now  ready  for 
more.  He  stopped  by  Miss  North,  who  briefly 
prepared  the  way  for  him. 

"We  are  having  a  few  stories  before  going 
home,"  she  explained.  .  .  .  "Yes,  go  on, 
Ezekiel." 


240  EZEKIEL 

And  thus  Ezekiel's  story  began: 

"Once  't  wuz  a  KT  boy,  'n'  he  ain'  no  fadder 
ner  no  mudder  ner  no  kin  nohow  -  -  'scusin'  jes' 
a  h'T  ole  nanny-goat."  The  family  circle  being 
thus  described  in  full,  Ezekiel  continued:  "No'm, 
he  ain'  no  kin  nohow,  'scusin'  jes'  dat  li'P  goat. 
But  li'P  boy  he  ain'  kickin'  up  no  dus'  counten 
w'at  ain't,  cuz  co'se  he  know  'tain'  no  use.  Yas'm ; 
co'se  he  know  dat-a-much.  'N'  li'P  boy's  name 
'Afawuel." 

"Did  you  say  this  was  a  true  story,  Ezekiel?" 

"Yas'm.  Wha'm  yer  say,  Miss  No'th?  'N' 
li'P  boy's  name  'Manuel.  'N'  li'P  goat's  name 
-  Cal/my.  'N'  one  r'al  pretty  mawnin'  'Manuel 
he  wek  up  'n'  look  all  eroun'  de  room,  'n'  outen 
de  winder  where  had  li'P  streaks  o'  sun  a-shinin' 
right  fru,  'n'  all  eroun'  de  room  'gin  —  say: 

"'I  won'er  where  Calliny 's  at?' 

"  'N'  den,  co'se,  he  git  outen  de  baid  'n'  look 
outen  de  winder  'gin,  'n'  sho  nuff  dere  's  Calliny 
a-browsin'  all  eroun'  'n'  a-nibblin'  on  de  grass, 
'n'  look  like  she  ain'  nary  trouble  nohow.  No'm, 
look  like  she  ain't.  'N'  'Manuel  feel  r'al  good, 
too  —  call  out : 

"'Heyo,  Calliny!  'Ow 's  yer  feelin'  's  maw- 
nin'  ?' 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  241 

"'N'  Calliny  look  up  r'al  pleasant,  'n'  'low 
she  ain'  fixin'  fer  no  trouble  yit,  'n'  den  KT 
boy  shet  de  winder  'gin  'n'  begins  a-putt'n'  on 
'is  clo'es.  Fus'  -  -  'is  shirt  'n'  'is  cuffs  -  -  'n' 
co'se  'is  pants  'n'  'is  necktie  -  -  'n'  'is  boots  - 
'n'  'is  spotted  laither  belt  -  -  'n'  co'se  'is  stockin's 

-  'n'  'is  watch  'n'  chain  -  -  'n'  'is  —  wha'm  yer 
say,  Miss  No'th?  Yas'm;  he  allays  dress  dat 
a-way  fus'  thing  in  de  mawnin'  -  -  'n'  'is  watch 
V  chain  -  -  'n'  'is  gloves  -  -  'n'  'is  li'l'  derby 
hat,  'n'  'is  -  'n'  'is  li'l'  derby  hat  —  'n'  den  he 
begins  a-studyin'  'bout  w'at  he  '11  git  'im  fer 
breakfus'.  'N'  fus'  he  think  he  '11  git  'im  some 
tea  'n'  p'r'aps  a  li'l'  piece  o'  pie.  Cuz  he  been 
feelin'  kine  o'  po'ly  wid  de  digestion  lately,  'n' 
he  ain'  cyarin'  ser  much  'bout  no  breakfus' 
nohow.  But  den  he  reckon  look  like  dat  's  po' 
folks  —  so  he  begins  studyin'  'gin.  'N'  den  he 
draw  outen  de  table  'n'  -  -  'n'  begins  putt'n'  on 
de  breakfus'.  'N'  fus'  he  put  on  some  braid  'n' 
some  chick'n  -  -  'n'  den,  co'se,  some  sweet  per- 
taters  'n'  some  watermillions  -  -  'n'  -  -  'n'  some 
poke  chops  -  -  'n'  some  tukkey  all  plumb  full  o' 
stuffin'  'n'  gra-vy  -  -  'n'  some  pudd'n'  where 
had  li'l'  plums  a-settin'  all  roun'  on  de  top  —  'n' 
—  'n'  some  li'l'  nudder  kine  o'  cakes  where  had 


242  EZEKIEL 

pink  'n'  yaller  frost'n'  a-stickin'  right  onto  'em 

-  'n'  some  —  wha'm  yer  say,  Miss  No'th  ?  W'y, 
he  gotten  'em  outen  de  pantry  —  yas'm;  pink 
'n'  yaller  frost'n'  a-stickin'  right  onto  'em  —  'n' 
den,  co'se  he  's  fixin'  fer  ter  se'  down  'n'  ax  de 
blessin',  w'en  dey  come  a-bunt'n'  'n'  a-bunt'n' 
on  de  do'.  'N',  co'se,  it 's  Calliny.  'N'  'Manuel 
he  jes'  perten'  he  ain'  hyeah  nuthin'  't  all,  so  he 
jes'  continue  wid  de  blessin'. 

"But  Calliny  she  jes'  keep  on  a-bunt'n'  'n' 
a-bunt'n',  'n'  'Manuel  he  call  out: 

"'Wat  yer  reckon  yer  doin'  out  dere,  a-bunt'n' 
de  do'  in,  yer  no-'count  goat,  yer?' 

"Yer  see,  'Manuel  think  a  powerful  heap  o' 
Calliny,  but  dis  yere  mawnin'  look  like  she 
reckon  she  r'ally  one  o'  de  qual'ty,  cuz  she 
jes'  keep  on  a-bunt'n'  'n'  a-bunt'n'  on  de  do'. 
'N'  nex'  yer  know,  she  jes'  speak  right  out 
-  say: 

"'Oh,  please,  Mister  Master  'Manuel,  I  wants 
ter  come  in!' 

"W'en  Calliny  speak  ter  de  li'l'  boy,  dat  de 
name  she  allays  say:     'Mister  Master  'Manuel' 
-jes'  dat-a-way. 

"'Oh,  please,  Mister  Master, 'Manuel,  I  wants 
ter  come  in !' 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  243 

"'N'   Manuel    jes'    'gins    a-laffin'  to  'isself- 
call  out: 

li '  Se'  down  'n'  res'  yerself,  Calliny,  'n'  praesen'ly 
w'en  I  gits  fru  wid  my  breakfus',  I  'se  gwine  let 
yer  come  in.' 

"  But  Calliny  she  jes'  bus'  out  a-cryin'  'gin — say: 

"'But,  KT  Mister  Master  'Manuel,  lemme 
tell  yer!  It 's  a  gr-et  big  b'ar  out  hyeah,  'n'  he  's 
a-fixin'  fer  ter  eat  me!' 

"Den  'Manuel,  co'se,  he  kine  o'  listen  fer  de 
b'ar,  but  he  am'  hyeah  nuthin',  cep'n'  ole  Calliny 
a-fussin'  'n'  a-quar'lin',  so  he  ain'  sayin'  nuthin', 
twell  praesen'ly  she  jes'  squeal  out : 

"'Oh,  I  tell  yer,  it 's  a  gr-et  big  b'ar  out  yere! 
'N'  he's  jes'  a-mence  a-chewin'  o'  my  tail  offen  me!' 

"But  'Manuel,  co'se,  he  reckon  Calliny's  jes' 
a-playin'  wid  'im  'gin  —  say: 

"'Well,  I  'se  finish  my  breakfus'  now,  so  nex' 
I  'spec'  I  has  ter  bresh  up  de  flo'.' 

"'But'sa  b'ar,  I  tell  yer!  'N'  he's  a-eatin' 
me  clean  up!  Oh,  w'at  '11  I  do?' 

"'Perten'  yer  doan'  notice  'im  'n'  ac'  kine 
o'  easy  'n'  sosherble  'bout  it!  Ain't  yer  no 
man'g'ment  'bout  yer?' 

"But  Calliny  she  ain'  seem  ter  tek  no  sat's- 
faction  bein'  sosherble  'bout  bein'  ate  up,  'n' 


244  EZEKIEL 

she  try  ter  holler  'gin;  but  cert'nly  seem  like 
'er  voice  gittin'  mighty  quar  'n'  weak-like. 

"<Oh,  but,  liT  Mister  Master  'Manuel!  I  'se 
mos'  all  ate  up!  All  'scusin'  my  haid  'n'  jes' 
few  mo'  li'l'  things.  All  'scusin'  my  haid  'n' 
jes'  few  mo'  li'l'  things!' 

"  'N'  den  'Manuel  he  'cide  ter  quit  ser  much 
foolishness,  so  he  jes'  jump  up  'n'  open  de  do'. 
'N'  w'at  yer  s'pose  he  seen  ?  It 's  de  trufe.  He 
ain'  seen  nary  thing  'scusin'  a  ole  fat  Var 
a-tippin'  roun'  de  co'ner!  Jes'  a  ole  fat  b'ar! 
'N'  'tain'  nary  sign  o'  Calliny  now'ere.  Not 
now'ere!  'N'  yit  seem  like  he  kin  kine  o'  hyeah 
de  quares'  li'l'  voice  —  jes'  a-cryin'  'n'  a-cryin' 
in  de  win': 

"<Oh,  li'l'  Mister  Master  'Manuel,  yer 's 
come  ter  late!  I  'se  all  ate  up!  Yer  's  come  ter 
late!  I  'se  all  ate  up!' 

"'N'  den  'Manuel,  co'se  he  knows  Calliny 's 
right  'bout  it.  'N'  he  jes'  set  righ'  down  on  de 
groun',  'n'  keep  on  settin'  dere  —  twell  praesen'ly 
he  jes'  bus'  right  out  cryin'.  Cuz  co'se  he 
know  dat  's  de  en'  o'  po'  Calliny. 

"'N'  af  dat  li'l'  boy's  jes'  'blige  ter  live  dere 
all  'lone  thouten  no  kin  't  all.  'N'  wussen  all 
dat,  seem  like  he  cyan'  nuver  go  outen  de  do'  no 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  245 

mo'  thouten  he  jes'  seem  ter  hyeah  dat  KT 
voice  a-cryin'  in  de  win' : 

"'Oh,  KT  Mister  Master  'Manuel,  yer 's  come 
ter  late!  I  'se  all  ate  up!  Yer  's  come  ter  late! 
I'se  all  ate  up!' 

"'N'  dat'sdeen'  o'  de  story." 

Ezekiel  returned  to  his  seat  with  becom 
ing  modesty  of  mien,  and  there  was  a  pro 
longed  low  laugh  from  the  visiting  gentleman. 

"Delightful!  Delightful  imagination!  Most 
original!  I  should  like  to  make  that  boy's 
acquaintance." 

But  Ezekiel' s  story  had  consumed  so  much 
time  that  it  was  already  half -past  three  o'clock, 
the  dismissal  bell  was  ringing,  the  children 
were  marching,  the  yard  was  filling  —  and  still 
the  visiting  gentleman  was  chatting  amiably 
with  Miss  North. 

"Ezekiel,  did  you  say?  Ezekiel  Jordan? 
Ezekiel  Esquire  Jordan?"  The  gentleman 
indulged  in  one  of  his  prolonged  low  laughs  again. 

"I'm  interested  in  that  boy,  Miss  North. 
He 's  a  type.  Most  original  and  picturesque! 
I  —  I  'd  really  like  to  get  hold  of  him;  do  some 
thing  for  him,  you  know." 

Miss  North  looked  mildly  appreciative  at  all 


246  EZEKIEL 

this  evidence  of  goodwill  and  intention,  and 
the  interested  gentleman  chatted  on: 

"H-m  —  yes,  I  really  mean  it.  In  fact,  I've 
always  wanted  a  little  coloured  boy  of  the  right 
sort.  Good-sized  place  in  the  country,  you 
know ;  plenty  of  outdoors  where  they  'd  keep 
him  busy,  off  and  on,  with  little  odd  jobs  —  and 
a  good  old  coloured  woman  in  the  kitchen  who  'd 
look  out  for  him.  I  'd  really  like  to  put  him  to 
school  up  there  and  help  him  along,  you  know." 

It  was  being  led  up  to  tactfully  in  Ezekiel's 
presence.  He  looked  a  bit  confused,  but  alert, 
too,  with  importance. 

"And  how  do  you  think  you'd  like  it,  h-m? 
Going  to  school  up  there  in  the  North?"  inquired 
the  interested  gentleman. 

"Yes,  suh!"  returned  Ezekiel,  still  a  bit  con 
fused,  but  appreciative. 

"All  right,  sir.     Where  do  you  live?" 

And  it  had  all  worked  itself  out  quite  smoothly 
and  naturally,  and  the  interested  gentleman 
was  still  interested  up  there  in  the  North. 

"H-m  —  interesting  experiment." 

The  "good  old  coloured  woman"  was  inter 
ested,  too;  and  Ezekiel  was  beginning  to  know  a 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  247 

few  of  the  " little  odd  jobs,"  and  was  also  begin 
ning  to  know  the  road  which  led  straight  into 
the  big  yard  where  the  brick  school-house  stood. 

Around  the  school-house  that  first  morning 
had  swarmed  children  white  —  white  —  white. 
Ezekiel  had  looked  hungrily,  confusedly  around 
for  a  dark  face  —  just  one.  But  they  were  all 
going  in,  and  he  had  not  found  it;  .  .  .  and 
they  were  all  trooping  out,  and  the  big  yard 
was  swarming  again,  and  Ezekiel  was  still  look 
ing  hungrily  for  the  dark  face. 

"You  will  find  him  an  interesting  type,"  the 
interested  gentleman  had  explained  to  the 
teacher  in  charge,  "an  interesting  type,  Miss 
Bard  —  imaginative  and  most  original." 

And  Miss  Bard  had  glanced  at  him  with  a 
kindly  interest  and  concluded  that  he  looked 
a  "little  heavy." 

"Just  get  him  to  telling  stories  some  day,"  he 
suggested.  And  he  chuckled  in  amused  rem 
iniscence.  Miss  Bard  looked  receptive  but 
unemotional,  and  wondered  just  what  occasion 
there  could  be  which  would  call  for  a  story-teller. 

But  —  "Will  you  go  on  with  the  next  par 
agraph,  Ezekiel?"  she  had  encouraged  that 
afternoon. 


248  EZEKIEL 

It  was  to  be  his  initiation  into  the  white  com 
pany.  He  looked  around  suspiciously,  and  rose 
from  his  seat,  looking  dully  self-conscious;  and 
the  paragraph  fell  on  the  audience  in  a  hope 
less,  stumbling  mumble. 

But  they  enjoyed  it,  some  of  them,  and  Eze- 
kiel  flushed  hotly  under  his  dark  skin. 

"Yes,"  said  Miss  Bard,  still  encouragingly, 
"and  you  will  probably  do  better  next  time." 

She  wondered  afterward,  why  old  Mr. 
Churchill  had  ever  brought  the  child  away 
from  home.  This  did  n't  seem  just  the  natural 
place  for  him,  really.  She  did  n't  believe  in 
these  violent  uprootings  and  transplantings.  She 
watched  him  now  as  he  wandered  around  the 
yard,  gazing  here,  there,  everywhere,  with  that 
peculiar  hungry,  searching  gaze,  and  wondered 
if  he  were  really  unhappy.  She  wandered  out 
into  the  yard  herself.  He  stood  apart  from 
the  others,  watching  them  now  with  passive 
dreaminess. 

"What  do  you  like  to  play  best,  Ezekiel? 
Don't  you  like  this  game?" 

He  looked  at  up  her  with  a  shy,  conscious  smile. 

"Yas'm,"  he  murmured,  with  confused 
appreciation. 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  249 

"And  here  is  a  place  for  you  right  here.  Of 
course  they  want  you  to  play,  too." 

She  had  turned  away  again,  but  he  was  fol 
lowing  her,  and  she  stopped.  He  seemed  to 
want  to  say  something,  and  she  waited.  Then 
she  went  on  again.  But  he  was  still  following 
her.  She  felt  his  hand  reach  up  and  just  touch 
her  arm. 

"What  is  it,  Ezekiel?  Did  you  want  some 
thing?" 

He  looked  up,  and  his  face  felt  very  hot,  but 
he  went  on,  faltering  it  out: 

"'Tain'-  -'tain'  nary  a  cull'd  chile  —  in  dis 
yere  —  whul  school  —  is  dey  ?" 

"A  coloured  child?"  He  waited.  It  was  the 
final  chance,  and  all  his  ultimate  happiness  and 
hope  seemed  to  be  hanging  trembling  in  the 
balance. 

"No;  I  am  afraid  you  are  the  only  coloured 
child  in  the  building.  I  'm  sorry." 

uYas'm,"  he  murmured  politely  —  and  turned 
away,  knowing  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
look  any  more  for  the  dark  face. 

'But  in  the  night,  in  a  dream,  another  time 
came  back,  and  it  was  the  Whittier  yard  that 
was  swarming,  just  as  it  used  to.  And  yet  he 


250  EZEKIEL 

still  seemed  to  be  searching  for  something. 
What  was  it?  A  little  coloured  boy?  Just  one 
little  coloured  boy?  No,  no!  They  were  all 
coloured!  And  he  threw  up  his  arms  and  ran  in 
and  out  among  them,  touching  them,  jostling 
them,  laughing  and  crying,  until  they  all  began 
to  do  just  as  he  did,  and  throw  up  their  arms, 
and  run  in  and  out,  touching  each  other,  jos 
tling  each  other,  swaying  backward  and  for 
ward,  running  in  and  out  faster  and  faster, 
laughing  and  crying  with  him  —  oh !  it  was  mad 
intoxication  after  weeks  of  very  wretched  thirst. 

And  then  he  waked  up,  just  as  it  was  fading 
away.  He  tried  to  get  it  back  again,  but  it  was 
a  confused,  unsatisfactory  thing,  and,  besides, 
it  was  day,  and  the  turn  of  the  other  —  waking 
things. 

He  remembered,  later,  that  it  was  Friday. 
Miss  Bard  remembered  it,  too,  and  thought 
again,  as  she  looked  at  him  curiously,  of  some 
thing  which  old  Mr.  Churchill  had  said  that  first 
morning  when  he  had  arrived  with  Ezekiel. 
Miss  Bard  was  conscientiously  interested  in  the 
most  latent,  unknown  qualities  of  them  all. 
And  in  this  particular  case  Miss  Bard  was  some 
what  troubled.  She  felt,  as  she  looked  back  over 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  251 

days  of  unsatisfying  attempts,  that  her  hitherto 
self-recognized  talent  for  skilfully  revealing  all 
these  latent  possibilities  was  undergoing  a  grad 
ual  extermination.  But  if  she  had  depended 
too  confidently  on  her  own  methods,  if  she  had 
not  been  sufficiently  open  to  what  had  seemed 
to  her  aimless  but  well-meant  suggestions,  she 
was  still  interested  and  conscientious. 

And  again  she  looked  at  Ezekiel  and  at  the 
others. 

"I  think  we  shall  have  time  for  a  little  reading 
before  we  go  home,"  she  began.  "Did  I  finish 
our  story  last  week  ?  .  H-m  —  yes.  Will 

one  of  you  give  the  story  as  quickly  as  possible 
in  your  own  words?  .  .  .  Yes,  that  was 
very  well  done,  Sarah.  Now,  I  wonder  if  per 
haps  some  of  you  know  stories  that  I  have  never 
heard." 

This  was  something  new  for  Miss  Bard,  and 
they  all  looked  very  much  interested. 

"  Could  n't  you  tell  us  a  story,  Robbie,  one 
that  you  have  heard  at  home?" 

Robbie  became  properly  concentrated. 

"I  can  tell  a  little  bit  of  a  story,  one  that  comes 
first  in  a  great  big  fairy-book  of  mine.  It 's 
about  a  fox  and  a  crow." 


EZEKIEL 


Ezekiel  looked  up  intelligently.  He  thought 
he  had  heard  something  like  that  before. 

"The  crow  was  sitting  up  in  a  tree,  and  a- 
fox  was  under  the  tree." 

EzekiePs  attention  began  to  wander. 

He  was  looking  at  Hezzy  Cones  instead  of 
at  Robbie  Eliot.  There  were  dark  faces  around 
him  instead  of  white  ones  —  and  they  were  all 
listening,  too. 

And  then  —  then  they  were  turning  to  look 
at  him.  For  he  knew  a  story  that  he  could  tell 
himself.  They  would  like  it,  they  would  all 
like  it!  And  Miss  North  would  like  it,  too! 

He  had  half  risen  in  his  seat,  and  his  face  was 
lighted  as  it  had  never  been  since  —  since  - 

"Yes,  Robbie,  that  was  very  nice.  And  now 
Ezekiel  has  a  story  to  tell  us,  I  am  sure." 

She  looked  smilingly  at  his  eager,  glowing 
face,  and  remembered  again  what  old  Mr. 
Churchill  had  said. 

"Yes,  Ezekiel  has  a  story." 

He  dropped  back  into  his  seat,  and  looked 
confusedly,  stupidly  around,  as  if  some  one 
had  frightened  him  out  of  a  —  no,  he  was  n't 
asleep,  but  he  still  looked  around  helplessly. 
And  it  was  the  white,  white  company  again. 


EZEKIEL    WAS   AT    HOME   AGAIN 


EZEKIEL  IN  EXILE  253 

And  yet  again  he  was  gazing  hungrily  around. 
He  had  forgotten  that  it  was  useless  —  gazing 
hungrily,  everywhere,  for  the  dark  face. 

"  Have  n't  you,  Ezekiel?" 

He  looked  at  her  stupidly. 

"No'm.  I  ain'  no  story  t'  tell,"  he  mumbled 
thickly. 

The  interested  gentleman  prided  himself  that 
he  was  always  open  to  conviction. 

"  And  if  this  does  n't  seem  to  be  just  the  place 
for  the  boy,  after  all,"  he  reasoned,  "why,  then 
he  'd  better  go  back  again.  He  was  all  right 
where  he  was,  but  I  was  fool  enough  to  get  the 
notion  that  I  'd  like  to  root  him  up  for  my  own 
diversion.  But  it  was  a  mean  little  game  to 
play  on  you,  wasn't  it,  little  chap?  And  I 
won't  keep  it  up  forever.  You  can  go  back, 
back  to  your  Virginia  country  and  your  little  black 
friends,  back  to  your  Whittier  School  and  your 
Miss  —  Miss  —  what 's  her  name  ?  —  Miss  - 

.     And  Miss  North  was  looking  around 
on  her  children   at   the  Whittier   School.     And 
then  they  all  remembered.     Friday  afternoon  - 
surely;   when    they   told    stories    and    did    other 
queer   things  —  surely.     And   how   interminably 


254  EZEKIEL 

long  it  had  seemed  since  they  had  done  any 
thing  queer  at  all! 

"And  how  nice  it  is  to  have  Ezekiel  back 
again,"  Miss  North  began.  "Would  you  like 
to  tell  us  the  first  story  this  afternoon,  Ezekiel?" 

"Yas'm."  And  Ezekiel  bounded  from  his 
seat  and  swung  joyously  down  the  aisle. 

They  followed  him  with  appreciative,  delighted 
smiles.  And  he  smiled  back  at  them  —  in  per 
fect  understanding. 

"Once  'twas  a  li'P  boy,"  he  began. 

They  were  still  smiling  at  him  delightedly. 
It  was  a  long  time  since  they  had  had  Ezekiel 
with  them.  He  stopped  just  long  enough  to 
smile  back  once  more. 

"Once 'twas  a  HT  boy " 

Ezekiel  was  at  home  again. 

THE  END 


185890 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DUE  ON  THE  LAST  DATE 
STAMPED  BELOW 

RENEWED  BOOKS  ARE  SUBJECT  TO  IMMEDIATE 
RECALL 


LIBRARY,  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  DAVIS 

Book  Slip-25m-6,'66(G3855s4)458 


N9  536171 


Pratt,   L. 
EzekLel. 


E9 


LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF   CALIFORNIA 
DAVIS 


